Jim Goulart

Vinny Rottino, Lindsay Gulin, and Luis Pena in the AAA PCL vs. Int'l. League All-Star Game -- Wednesday, July 16th -- 6:00 PM Central on ESPN2 Not near a TV but online? Watch free here. Listen only here. Box Score, Gameday and Game Log

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Southern League Press Release: Hitter of the Week ALCIDES ESCOBAR, SS, HUNTSVILLE STARS The Stars' offense regained its fearsome form during the week, and Escobar was at the center of the action. The All-Star shortstop led the league with 15 hits, including at least two in each game, during the period as Huntsville scored 48 runs during a five-game winning streak. Escobar also tied for the league lead with three steals and tied for second with eight runs for the Stars, who entered the week with only 17 runs scored in their first six games of July. The 21-year-old Escobar began the week with a double and a two-run single in a 9-2 victory against Birmingham on July 7. He collected four hits and scored four runs in a 15-4 rout of Chattanooga two days later and added three hits and a stolen base in a 10-3 triumph on Friday. The native of Vargas, Venezuela capped the week with two hits on Saturday to enter the All-Star break third in the league with a .337 average. His 136 hits are second only to teammate Mat Gamel's 143 in all of Minor League Baseball.

Link while active, text follows: Sounds' Rottino adjusts to role as full-time catcher Triple-A All-Star played shortstop earlier in career By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Although Vinny Rottino is set to start his second consecutive Triple-A All-Star Game at catcher, the fourth-year Nashville Sound is hardly impressed with his evolution at the position. Despite devoting more of his time to the spot than he has at any other point in his professional career, Rottino's improvement - in his assessment - has been sporadic as he heads into tonight's game between the Pacific Coast League and the International League in Louisville. He has thrown out just 21 percent (13 of 61) of potential base-stealers and has been charged with 15 passed balls. "I haven't been catching the way I want to catch," said Rottino, who stopped 14 of 45 stolen base attempts last season. "I've let some balls get by me and usually, that's not me. I know I can throw the ball better than I've been throwing it. "I just continue to work hard at it. The focus and the goal is to get better each day." Signed in 2003 by the Milwaukee Brewers as an undrafted free agent following an amateur background as a shortstop, the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Rottino has caught more games already this season - 80 of his 88 appearances have been behind the plate - than in any other year. And while that exposure brings experience, not all of the experience is positive. "When you don't play every day as a catcher, and then you do, you find out more about your holes," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said. "That's what you see. You're always going to look worse the more you play. There are going to be more things that happen to you." Defense is consistent Kremblas has been pleased with the 28-year-old's defensive work - taking into consideration his background. "His defense has been the same; it's been fine," he said. "His game-calling is getting better. He makes mistakes, but everybody makes mistakes. He's learning from it." In preparation for the heavier load, Rottino caught 40 games in the Dominican Winter League this past offseason. Since then, he's tried to get his game back to that level. "My manager in the Dominican had faith in me to catch every day," he said. "I threw a lot of runners out, handled the staff well. I know what I'm capable of behind the plate. I just need to continue to get better." According to Nashville pitching coach Stan Kyles, Rottino's issues are typical of someone making the transition to catching full-time at the professional level. "He's had to come a long way in a little time," Kyles said. "He hasn't had the time to really get back there and do it for long; he's been playing all over. It's just a matter of getting the experience. He's had his ups and downs. He's trying to make the adjustment to playing every day, getting locked in and controlling a staff. His mechanics behind the plate are pretty good. He's learning the game; he's more instinctual behind the plate. I think the progress he's made has been solid and he's just going to continue to get better." That's what the Brewers anticipated this spring when they assigned Rottino to Nashville for a fourth year. "We told him at the beginning of the year he needed to go to Nashville and catch the majority of the time and put himself in position to be a bonafide backup catcher," Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "That's what he's working on. As he continues to gain experience, it's a possibility. "It's not a question of the physical tools right now. It's not a question of the throwing or the footwork. It's learning how to call a game, and the only way you're going to do that is by gaining experience." Vinny Rottino Full-Season Photo Gallery from the Tennessean Interesting logo on the first shot, batting practice cap, I imagine... Rottino Usage Chart (PDF Document)

Link while active, text follows: Power's Gindl using his bat rather than arm for success by Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter If some professional baseball scouts had it their way, Caleb Gindl would be pitching to minor league hitters rather than hitting against minor league pitchers. A left-hander whose fastball can reach 95 mph, Gindl was a hot commodity and top prospect at Pace High School in Florida. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Gindl as an outfielder in the fifth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. The Boston Red Sox and other teams had other ideas for him, however. "I could have gone as a pitcher," said Gindl, who was the 161st overall pick and received a $144,900 signing bonus from Milwaukee. "Boston called me in the fifth round and wanted me to go as a pitcher, but I told them, 'No chance would I do that.' "I love to hit and I love to play, and that's what I want to do. One day, if I don't make it as a hitter, I might try to go back and make it as a pitcher. As of right now, I just want to hit and play." Gindl is doing exactly that this season for the West Virginia Power, the Brewers' low Class A South Atlantic League affiliate. Gindl and his teammates had a much-needed and much-appreciated off day Tuesday. "I feel like I'm more involved in the game playing right field and getting to hit every day," said the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Gindl, who will turn 20 on the second-to-last day of the season (Aug. 31). "Pitching is one of those things ... I couldn't see myself loving to pitch. But I love to play baseball and I love to hit. Pitchers are out there every five games. Position players are out there every day." Gindl is the 10th-ranked prospect in the Brewers' farm system, according to the 2008 Baseball America Prospect Handbook. "Gindl has tremendous pitch recognition for a young hitter, enabling him to hit both fastballs and breaking balls," according to the publication's analysis of the outfielder. "His stocky build and line-drive power remind some of Brian Giles. Some clubs considered drafting him as a left-handed pitcher, so his arm plays well in right field. "The Brewers like his makeup and maturity. Whether Gindl will have enough home run power to play an outfield corner in the majors remains to be seen. He's close to maxed out physically and limited in terms of speed and athleticism." Milwaukee promoted Gindl from Helena to West Virginia last September after he won the Pioneer League batting title with a .372 batting average. He also recorded a .420 on-base percentage and .580 slugging percentage with three triples, five home runs, 22 doubles, 40 runs and 42 RBI in 55 games at Helena last year to earn All-Star honors. He whiffed 38 times and walked 20 times. Gindl joined West Virginia for the last two games of the SAL Championship Series against Columbus. Gindl was on the Power's opening day roster this season and has played in all but one game. Like most of his teammates, this is his first full season in professional baseball. The rigorous schedule can cause wear and tear on a player's body and mind. Gindl has handled it fairly well. He is hitting .268 with seven home runs, 25 doubles, 48 runs and 50 RBI. He is first among his teammates in strikeouts with 96 and second in walks with 38. "It was a big-time struggle in the first half," said Gindl, who is hitting 15 points higher in the second half (.279 compared to .264). "It seemed like I was on a rollercoaster ride the whole time -- up, down, up, down. "Looking back on it, I think it's going to make me a better player (by) having to deal with that and coming through that and turning things around after that. "I just came out here and tried to go with the same approach I went with last year. It's a better league with better pitchers. That's for sure. It took me a while to make adjustments, but I made them and I'm trying to turn things around." Gindl said he might make a mound return if his pro career depends on it. "Maybe I could do it," Gindl said. "But, hopefully, I don't have to, especially with me being 5-8. It would be tough to make it. There aren't a lot of short pitchers."

Link while active, text follows: Brewers' impending exit leaves Power with lineup to fill by Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor The way this relationship began between the Brewers and West Virginia Power in 2005, it seemed Charleston was getting Milwaukee's baseball version of Laverne & Shirley. In a South Atlantic League first-half season debut of 25-45, the Baby Brewers sent to Charleston were Lenny and Squiggy laughable. Oh, well, at least we had a new ballpark then. The Brewers, to their credit, did more than just get it right. That's why the revelation by the Daily Mail's Jacob Messer on these pages two weeks ago that Milwaukee's Class A affiliation is all but going, gone, gone from Appalachian Power Park is sad news. Starting tonight, when the Power opens an eight-game homestand, you have 25 games (and maybe a playoff date or two) to see the Brewers as the home team provider. It's not that Charleston baseball will be only losing a first-place team this half. The Power has been plugged into a first-rate organization. Since that 20-games-under start, the Power is 48 games over .500. The Brew Crew sent through the capital city's farm will leave local and Major League memories for years to come. Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Will Inman, Joe Thatcher, Alcides Escobar, Hernan Iribarren ... Why this is happening is something of a mystery. You won't get an answer on the thinking from Milwaukee, at least none that is no more than speculation, at least not now. Try September. Supposedly, the Brewers want to move their low Class A farm team about 90 miles from Miller Park to Appleton, Wis. -- where these days most sports fans are consumed by the Brett Favre Flu. I can't believe the baseball people from the Brewers are thrilled about leaving Charleston, where they've enjoyed nice facilities and supportive crowds that on this homestand will surpass 900,000 in four years. However, some Cheesehead suits or bean counters in Beertown probably see the chance to sell a few more Milwaukee seats and caps and jerseys in Appleton, so they say to the baseball guys, "You can teach a right fielder to hit the cutoff man in Wisconsin as easily as you can in West Virginia, so ..." Mat Gamel, Matt LaPorta, Angel Salome, Darren Ford, Taylor Green, Michael Brantley, Andrew Lefave ... No one who cares about baseball here can be steamed about what the Brewers have produced in the East End ballpark. In fact, we have been spoiled recently. If you go back into Toronto's final season (2004) as the Alley Cats' parent club, Charleston baseball has had eight half-seasons of at least .500 (out of 10). The city was 11-for-12 under .500 from 1998-2003. After Milwaukee's poor debut half season when too many young prospects were overmatched, the Brewer teams here have finished lower than third in the division in only one half (sixth, 32-37 the first half of this season). If the Power wins the second-half SAL Northern Division title, Charleston will be in the playoffs for the third time in five summers. What's next after BrewerBall? It's a crapshoot. West Virginia Baseball LLC Executive Vice President Andy Milovich said playing the affiliation game "is like trading lottery tickets." Even if the Power does its homework and studied a farm system's depth (as Milovich and General Manager Ryan Gates will), who's to say what the 2009 draft will or won't bring that organization, or what impact a trade involving multiple prospects may cost a club? Jeremy Jeffress, Zelous Wheeler, Stephen Chapman, Carlos Corporan, Zach Braddock, Eric Farris ... There are 17 clubs in the South Atlantic and Midwest leagues who have Player Development Contracts that end with the 2008 season. Some affiliations just won't change because of ownership, regional ties or geographic sense (Cincinnati among them). Contractually, Boston, Anaheim, Kansas City, Toronto, Detroit, Baltimore, Cleveland, Atlanta, St. Louis, Florida and both Chicago clubs are unavailable. When Milwaukee re-upped with the Power for 2007 and '08, the other Major League clubs that expressed more than a passing interest in a Power plug-in were Tampa Bay, Texas, San Francisco and the New York Mets. If you want to hold out hope for a "regional" affiliation, maybe the best bet is Pittsburgh -- although Hickory Crawdads owner Don Beaver is a part-owner of the parent Pirates. Still, the Wheeling-based Nutting family now guides the Pirates' management. Maybe some Pittsburgh poobah might take a similar tack to what Milwaukee seems to be taking. Might the Bucs might sell a few more of the very available PNC Park tickets in the Kanawha Valley if the organization had team ties in a city where the storied Pirate-fueled Charlies remain a fond memory? The likely time frame for the Power to land a new parent club is the second half of September, after Major League teams spend the first two weeks of the month in discussions and negotiations with potential farm stops. Lorenzo Cain, Jonathan Lucroy, David Welch, Derek Miller, Chuck Caufield, Patrick Ryan ... The prospects have been prominent, and the irony as the Power heads into the last 6 1/2 weeks of the season is that Charleston baseball fans will be rooting for their team to make the SAL playoffs for a second straight year ... and then watch that organization pack its bags. They will still sell Anheuser-Busch products at the Power Park concession stands, but I'm here to tell you Milwaukee's best has tasted mighty fine to spectators, too.

Link includes audio of the play -- Inman suffers foot bruise in latest start By Alan Friedman / Special to MLB.com The San Antonio Missions got a scare during Tuesday's win over Frisco when star hurler Will Inman was hit on the foot by a line drive on his first pitch of the game. The Frisco RoughRiders' leadoff hitter Julio Borbon ripped a liner off the inside of Inman's left foot and reached first on an infield single. Inman stayed in the game and loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks, but he fanned Justin Majewski to end the threat. The right-hander left the game afterward and went for X-rays, which were negative. "[inman] wanted to finish the first inning," Missions manager Bill Masse said. "I thought it was worse than it was because the ball hit him on a line without hitting the ground. ... It's just a bruise and he should be fine for his next start [sunday against Midland]." Inman, who pitched a perfect fifth inning in Sunday's Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, came into Tuesday's contest with an 8-4 record and a 3.02 ERA. He is believed to be one of the players USA Baseball has under consideration for the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Missions rallied in the top of the ninth on Mike Baxter's two-run homer for a 4-3 victory.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Michael Brantley, Alcides Escobar, and Cole Gillespie made a significant impact for the Northern All-Stars in their 6-1 victory in the Southern League All-Star Game at Five County Stadium, Monday night, but it was a local hero, Carolina 2nd baseman Chris Coghlan, who emerged the All-Star of this show...... Brantley, Escobar, and Gillespie combined for six of the North's nine hits, and scored half of their runs, but it was Coghlan's three-run homer in the 5th off Jacksonville right-hander Jesus Castillo that broke the game open, giving his squad a decisive 5-1 lead. Brantley started the decisive 5th with a single. Escobar followed with a line drive single to left. Coghlan then turned on Castillo's next pitch, a fastball right down the middle, and launched it over the right-field fence to push the North to a 5-1 advantage....... Tennessee Smokies outfielder Doug Deeds added one more in the 6th with a long bomb on a 3-2 pitch off Mobile right-hander Brooks Brown that nearly cleared the scoreboard in right field. North starter Ben Jukich of the Chattanooga Lookouts took home the Pitcher of the Game award after retiring the side in order on just six pitches in the 1st inning. The North took a 2-0 lead on Montgomery's Wade Davis in the bottom half of the inning after leadoff hitter and Mudcat centerfielder John Raynor hit a ground-rule double down the right field line. Escobar, 3rd in batting in the league, singled to center to drive him in for the first run. Escobar went to 2nd on the throw home, went to 3rd on a ground ball by Coghlan, and scored on a passed ball by John Jaso, who also was charged with a passed ball in last year's All-Star Game. The South made it a one-run game after Stars left-hander David Welch retired the South on six pitches in the 3rd. Mobile shortstop Yunesky Sanchez hit a leadoff double off Carolina pitcher Jeff Gogal in the 4th. Sanchez went to third on a grounder by Jaso, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mobile's 2nd baseman Rusty Ryal....... Afterwards, no South player was able to reach second base until they loaded the bases with two out in the 9th. Then Carolina's closer, Chris Mobley got Birmingham's Miguel Negron to ground out to end the game. The North's defense was a big help, turning three double plays. Chattanooga 3rd baseman Eric Eymann started a pair, while Stars right-hander Patrick Ryan snatched a hard-hit comebacker and turned it into a 1-6-3 double play in the 7th.......Ryan pitched a scoreless 7th, retiring the South on 12 pitches, striking out leadoff man Ryal before giving up a ground ball single to Mobile 1st baseman Bryan Byrne, who led their squad with two hits....... Over 5,600 attended the game which played out in a swift 2:19. Coming out of the All-Star Break......... Four of the top five hitters in the Southern League are from Huntsville. Check out the leaderboard information at the "Standings Page" ........ Since coming off the disabled list June 24, David Johnson has thrown 9 2/3 scoreless innings in relief over the space of seven games........ Since Patrick Ryan's consecutive scoreless streak from the start of the season ended at 20 2/3 innings, he is 2-4 with a 5.56 ERA...... Alcides Escobar is 15-for-30 in his last six games, scored eight times, and has driven in six runs. 14 of those 15 hits are singles........ Mat Gamel has hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games and is working on a seven-game streak. He's 37-for-96 (.385) since June 18 with one home run and 19 RBIs...... Michael Garciaparra was 6-for-15 in the Chattanooga series....... Lorenzo Cain hit .318 in that series....... Matt LaPorta is 6-for-16 (.375) with a home run and 4 RBIs since joining the Eastern League Akron Aeros........Carlos Corporan is hitting .214 (6-for-28) in 10 games with the Nashville Sounds with one home run hit in last Friday's game....... Joe Bateman is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 6 appearances for the Sounds...... Steve Hammond is 0-4 with a 7.41 ERA in four starts, nevertheless still leads the Brewer organization in strikeouts with 91...... The Schaumberg Flyers of the independent Northern League have released pitcher Chris Saenz. There are going to be some suspensions at the wrong time, for the Stars face the 1st place Tennessee Smokies when they return home, trailing by two games Wednesday with a homestand full of interesting promotions that could only come from the house of Buck Rogers........ The first-ever Gorgeous Grandma beauty pageant on Thursday, a fundraiser for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation and fireworks on Friday, a Corey Hart T-shirt Jersey giveaway on Saturday, and a celebration of the 39th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission on Sunday...... Friday, fans can see a pre-game "Hoses and Handcuffs" Home Run Derby between the fire department and HPD. Proceeds from "Launch-a-Ball" and a silent auction will go to the Foundation........ WDRM sponsors a contest with their listeners, in which five couples will experience a romantic candlelight dinner in a skybox section Saturday night while they watch the ballgame, as part of I 'Hart' the Stars...... Thanks to the votes from Stars fans, Brewers fans, and their affiliates, Corey Hart was added to the NL All-Star squad in MLB's extra-man voting. Evan Longoria was voted in, likewise, on the American League side.

While we're posting complimentary links -- Most of the good wood on the Northern Division squad came from the Stars: the Huntsville Stars, that is. Alcides Escobar, Michael Brantley and Cole Gillespie - three mainstays of Huntsville's League-leading offense - all had two hits each. "Our guys really swung the bats," Northern Division manager Matt Raleigh said. "I'll call it team Huntsville because their team is so good offensively. I think they had six of our nine hits as it was." The Northern Division offense got its share of support from the hometown boys as well. Benson native John Raynor scored the game's first run after doubling to lead off the bottom of the first inning. He came home on a shot up the middle by Escobar, the highly regarded Milwaukee Brewers' shortstop prospect. "Unbelievable player, what an athlete he is. Offensively he swings the bat, defensively, he's as good as there is," Raleigh said of Escobar. "I knew he was good when we played them but when you watch him here and he's on your team, it's quite amazing to watch him play the game." Escobar was part of seven infield outs for the North squad, which also turned three double plays, helping make their pitching staff's night much easier. "That's seriously the best infield I've ever played with," Chris Coghlan, the home team Mudcats' starting second baseman, said. "[Eric] Eymann over there, he made some great plays and Escobar, he's going to be a big leaguer. And, of course, you had [the Mudcats'] Gaby [sanchez] and Hubbard. They hit some on the ground and we made some nice plays."

I'm out, baby! Thanks to the schedule-makers for the evening and late night off. Go Ben Sheets, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart! Game Seven in October in Miller Park!

Final: Arizona Mariners 10, Arizona Brewers 2 Arizona Box Score Six up, six down against J.J. Putz; for these eyes, it's all about K-to-BB ratio for Maryvale pitchers, and RHP Damon Krestalude is at 13-to-3 in 12.1 IP, while fellow Floridian Shane Hill is at 3-to-7 in a tiny 6.2 inning sample; starter Adrian Rosario had as much trouble fielding (three errors) as he did pitching (five ER in 4.1 innings); only four hits for the Brewers, although they did draw seven walks and an HBP; catcher Shawn Zarraga left the game at the mid-way point, hopefully only deferring to the heat and the workload... Arizona Game Log

Here's a little something for our barren report today -- very interesting chat, jump on board... Helena Monday Pre-Game Audio Interview with the Brewers' Organizational Latin Liason Adam Jonas Click on the KCAP archive of July 14th, then browse to the 09:30 minute mark Fascinating story about how Adam got his start in baseball, he didn't learn any Spanish until the Twins sent him to the Dominican Republic. Adam Jonas begins his second season in the Brewers organization. In his role, he assists with off-field needs and development of the non-English speaking minor leaguers. Prior to joining the Brewers, Jonas worked for the Minnesota Twins in the Dominican Republic for the 2006 Dominican Summer League and spent the 2005 season with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. Jonas graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a master's degree in psychology in 2005 after earning his bachelor's degree from the university in 2004. Jonas resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Link Report Bonus: The Huntsville Times looks at the Southern League's top current prospects

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 60 40 .600 - 36-17 24-23 L2 Memphis 54 44 .551 5.0 26-21 28-23 W1 Omaha 45 52 .464 13.5 20-26 25-26 L1 Nashville 39 60 .394 20.5 19-27 20-33 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 16 9 .640 - 9-6 7-3 L2 Huntsville 14 11 .560 2.0 5-5 9-6 L1 Carolina 12 13 .480 4.0 5-5 7-8 L2 Chattanooga 11 14 .440 5.0 6-9 5-5 W1 West Tenn 8 17 .320 8.0 1-9 7-8 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 14 9 .609 - 10-6 4-3 W1 St. Lucie 13 9 .591 0.5 8-5 5-4 L2 Daytona 14 10 .583 0.5 6-3 8-7 W1 Jupiter 12 10 .545 1.5 5-2 7-8 W2 Vero Beach 10 14 .417 4.5 4-9 6-5 L4 Brevard County 8 16 .333 6.5 3-9 5-7 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 18 7 .720 - 8-2 10-5 L2 Lakewood 15 10 .600 3.0 9-5 6-5 L1 Delmarva 13 12 .520 5.0 6-8 7-4 L1 Hagerstown 11 14 .440 7.0 5-10 6-4 W1 Hickory 11 14 .440 7.0 3-6 8-8 L1 Lake County 11 14 .440 7.0 5-10 6-4 L3 Greensboro 8 17 .320 10.0 2-8 6-9 L1 Lexington 5 19 .208 12.5 2-9 3-10 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 16 11 .593 - 5-1 11-10 W1 Great Falls 15 12 .556 1.0 8-4 7-8 L1 Helena 14 13 .519 2.0 9-9 5-4 W3 Missoula 6 21 .222 10.0 3-15 3-6 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 12 5 .706 - 6-3 6-2 W1 AZL Padres 11 6 .647 1.0 7-1 4-5 W5 AZL Cubs 10 8 .556 2.5 7-2 3-6 L2 AZL Rangers 10 8 .556 2.5 5-5 5-3 W2 AZL Giants 10 9 .526 3.0 5-4 5-5 W1 AZL Royals 10 9 .526 3.0 7-2 3-7 L1 AZL Athletics 8 10 .444 4.5 4-5 4-5 W2 AZL Mariners 7 12 .368 6.0 4-5 3-7 L3 AZL Brewers 3 14 .176 9.0 3-6 0-8 L3

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Choose "Log" or "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. Arizona: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_15_brrrok_mrnrok_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: What's this? It doesn't even qualify as an appetizer! All times Central except Arizona League; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Idle -- Pacific League All-Star Game Wednesday, details then Huntsville: Idle Brevard County: Idle West Virginia: Idle Helena: Idle Arizona: 18-year-old RHP Adrian Rosario at the Mariners' complex in Peoria, 10:30 AM local Mountain Standard Time; the kids will get to face rehabbing J.J. Putz, fun... Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew

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The Huntsville kids all contributed in a 6-1 North Division All-Star win -- Michael Brantley (2-for-2, run), Alcides Escobar (2-for-4, run, two RBI), Angel Salome (0-for-1, walk), Cole Gillespie (2-for-4), David Welch and Patrick Ryan (one scoreless inning apiece) all represented well.

Final: Helena 6, Casper (Rockies) 0 Link while active, text follows: Brewers sweep Ghosts By CURT SYNNESS - Helena Independent Record Every baseball fan loves offense, but any successful team has to have good pitching and defense, too. Monday night at Kindrick Legion Field, the Helena Brewers showcased their talents, as they shutout the Casper Ghosts and played error-free ball in their 6-0 victory. The win gave the Brewers a three-game sweep over Casper and lifted the home team over the .500 mark, at 14-13. Casper falls to 16-10. "The sweep is OK, but the main thing is to win ballgames," Helena manager Rene Gonzales said, after their third straight triumph over a very good Casper team. "That's our objective nn to continue to win and get better," Gonzales added. The Brew Crew outscored the visitors 24-6 in the series. Four Helena pitchers combined to throw a three-hitter in the whitewash. Starter Lucas Luetge went five scoreless innings, permitting only one hit and striking out three. He did not walk a batter. Luetge set down the first eight men he faced and held on to a no-hitter going into the fourth stanza. Casper's Kane Simmons led off the fourth with a scorching double to deep left field, which Chris Dennis made a valiant effort on up against the fence. "Luetge was coming out after the fifth, regardless, because he was on a pitch count," Gonzales explained. "It was just an outstanding performance by him. He was keeping the hitters off-balance with his breaking ball, but the curve was even more effective because of his fastball." Luetge is now 3-0, owns a 0.00 ERA and has not given up an earned run in 10 innings pitched. Santo Manzanillo, Rico Salmon and Wily Peralta divided up the final four innings. Casper starter Dan Houston was stuck with the defeat. The Capital City group scored two runs in the third frame to break up a pitcher's duel. After Erik Miller walked, third baseman John Delaney stroked the first hit of the game, an RBI triple to deep right field. He then came home on a sacrifice fly by Michael Marseco. The Brewers tacked on four more runs the rest of the way, collecting six hits altogether. Corey Kemp drove in two runs with a double, while Mike Roberts added an RBI two-bagger. Delaney and first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard sparked the defense, each making several spectacular plays. "It all starts with pitching and defense," said the Brewers' skipper. "And we only had six hits tonight, but our offense was more efficient." After a day off for the Major League All-Star game, the Brewers will travel to Idaho Falls to take on the Chukars Wednesday. Helena Box Score Brock Kjeldgaard on base three times, bit the pitchers deserve the spotlight, enjoy their lines... Helena Game Log

Final: Charleston (Yankees) 9, West Virginia 8, 11 innings West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER FALL TO RIVERDOGS IN 11 The Charleston Riverdogs erased a pair of early deficits at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark on Monday night and won on a walkoff walk in the 11th inning to defeat the West Virginia Power 9-8. Anderson De La Rosa hit a two-run homer in the top of the second to give the Power an early lead. Eric Fryer's errant throw allowed Austin Krum to score in the bottom of the second. Zelous Wheeler grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that plated Eric Farris in the third to give the Power a 3-1 lead. Abraham Almonte scored on a wild pitch in the third to make it a one-run game again. The Power scored three times in the fifth to take their biggest lead of the game. Fryer singled in Farris and Steffan Wilson hit a two-run shot, his 15th of the season. The Riverdogs answered with a four-run fifth to tie the game. Bradley Suttle doubled in two runs before Jesus Montero's two-bagger scored Almonte and Farris's errant throw brought in Austin Romine. Lee Haydel singled in Matt Cline in the sixth inning and De La Rosa delivered an RBI single in the seventh to give the Power another two-run lead before Romine hit a two-run shot in the seventh to tie the game again. Romine began the 11th inning with a double and scored the winning run when Carmen Angelini walked with the bases loaded. Jonathan Ortiz (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and fanned four batters to get the victory. Corey Frerichs (4-7) walked in the winning run in the 11th and was tagged with the loss. He allowed just a run on three hits over two and a third. Power pitchers combined to walk the Riverdogs 13 times. The Power fell to 50-44 on the year and 18-7 in the second half with the loss. The Riverdogs improved to 55-38 on the year and 10-13 in the second half with the win. Five Power players turned in multi-hit games, including Eric Farris who paced the Power with a 3-for-6 performance. Wilson went 2-for-5 and has reached safely in 14 consecutive games and extended his road hitting streak to 20 games. He knocked in 12 runs over the eight-game road trip. The Power will have Tuesday off and begin a four-game series against the Columbus Catfish at Appalachian Power Park on Wednesday night. Right hander Evan Anundsen (8-4, 3.52) will make the start for the Power and the Catfish will counter with left hander Brian Flores (7-4, 3.62). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score Evan Frederickson with the most unique three-inning pitching line of the year -- check it out -- get used to it with this kid, apparently; there would have been a 4th wild pitch for Frederickson, but the runner from third was out at the plate; Frederickson actually earned seven outs in his three innings, none on ground balls (two outs on the basepaths); Caleb Gindl in a bad slump (6-for-41, .146) -- more than once as of late, the Power lineup has lit up the scoreboard, only to see Caleb with an 0-for- in the box score's cleanup spot; three catchers in the Power lineup more than once this past week; incredibly sloppy game, but must have been entertaining as all heck for the fans... West Virginia Game Log

Final: Sarasota (Reds) 1, Brevard County 0, ten innings SARASOTA - Held scoreless for 23 innings by Brevard County during the past three games, Sarasota wanted to come up with a run any way possible. When that run finally came, it turned out to be a game-winner. The Reds scored an unearned run with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning Monday night at Ed Smith Stadium to beat the Manatees 1-0. With the bases loaded, Sarasota's Jose Castro hit a two-hop grounder to Jimmy Mojica and the Manatees' second baseman threw the ball into the dirt trying to force out pinch runner Daniel Perales at the plate. The suspenseful triumph in front of 340 spectators gave Sarasota three wins in four games against Brevard County. Sarasota improved to 11-14 during the second half and 44-51 overall. The series at the stadium was low scoring overall as the hosts outscored the Manatees 11-7 over four games. Brevard County, which swept the SaraReds in four games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, dropped to 8-16 in the second half and 43-50 overall. Another key to Sarasota's latest victory was the outstanding pitching performances of Scott Carroll and Misael DeJesus (3-4), who allowed only five singles, walked just one and struck out 15. Todd Frazier, Jake Long and Yuber Rodriguez had two hits apiece to lead Sarasota's eight-hit attack. Brevard County Box Score As noted above, Chris Cody with another wonderful performance, showing Josh Butler how acquired starting pitchers via trade are supposed to make the GM look good... Brevard County Game Log

MiLB Honors: Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week Efrain Nieves, Helena 1-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO Nieves has been lights-out since being roughed up in his first start of the season and has now won four consecutive decisions for Helena. He earned no decision Tuesday night against Idaho Falls, despite allowing just one earned run on four hits in six innings while striking out six. The southpaw did get the victory Sunday against Casper, giving up only three hits and one run in a season-high seven innings for the Brewers.

Final: Arizona Padres 7, Arizona Brewers 6 Lose on a walk-off triple with no outs... Arizona Box Score Shawn Zarraga with his first of what should be many pro home runs; big game for Miguel Vasquez, normally a middle infielder, playing left field -- on base three times and throws out two runners on direct throws to home plate; none of the three pitchers that followed Jake Odorizzi could match his success, and that's what drops the boys to 3-14; why we love baseball -- ten errors last game, none today; only 83 degrees at gametime, wow... Arizona Game Log

Southern League All-Star Game Listen to the game at 6:30 PM Central time via this link (scroll down to July 14th) Follow the box score and game log here.

Jake Odorizzi went three scoreless innings today for the A-Crew (one hit, one walk, one balk). Nice!