Jim Goulart

Final: Arizona Angels 8, Arizona Brewers 1 Arizona Box Score Broken record continues -- it just dawned on me that most of our readers don't even understand that idiom, it's from when a vinyl record (an album, or LP) would have a bad spot and skip on the turnstyle so it repeated, there's your "broken record"; six stolen bases off the pitchers and catcher Shawn Zarraga; check out the scores of the A-Crew games thus far here... Arizona Game Log

Apparently Evan Bronson has changed Cape League teams (now with Brewster), and last night pitched wonderfully in Wareham, the town practically in my backyard (well, 30 miles away), without me realizing. So go the best-laid plans. LINK WAREHAM - The Gatemen's three-game win streak came to a close at the hands of Evan Bronson and the Brewster Whitecaps at Spillane Field on Monday. Bronson pitched six scoreless innings in his first Cape League start for Brewster, and second baseman Mike Freeman scored twice for the Whitecaps (11-7) in the 4-2 win over Wareham. After giving up leadoff hits in the first and second innings, Bronson (1-2) retired the next three batters each time, striking out the side in the first. He retired 13 straight batters before allowing a walk and a single in the sixth, struck out nine batters and allowed three hits and a walk. "We didn't do very much against him," Wareham coach Cooper Farris said. "He kept us mixed up with the fastball. He could throw the change up and the breaking ball at any point in the count and anytime you get a pitcher like that they're going to give you fits unless you can get your foot down and see the baseball." Bronson was particularly effective against the heart of the Gatemen's order. Right fielder Brett Eibner and designated hitter Blake Dean went a combined 0-for-6 against the Brewster starter with five strikeouts. It was a tough day for the Wareham three and four hitters, who went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, with Dean picking up the lone RBI on a sacrifice fly. "We left runners on third all night," Farris said. "We struck out. All we had to do in three situations was hit ground balls. The infield was back and we just didn't get it done. It came back to bite us."

Garrison's latest -- ten baserunners in six innings, three runs, pretty non-descript one way or the other...

Baseball America breaks down the big Sabathia trade

Written before the trade. For Cleveland's sake, Matt had better be a better slugger than blogger. My goodness, did MiLB.com explain to him what might make for good reading -- on or off-the-field anecdotes, anything at all? We now link to the journal entries just to point out how dull and inconsequential they are.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 55 37 .598 - 33-16 22-21 W1 Memphis 50 41 .549 4.5 23-20 27-21 W2 Omaha 42 47 .472 11.5 18-24 24-23 L2 Nashville 36 55 .396 18.5 18-24 18-31 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 13 7 .650 - 6-4 7-3 W2 Carolina 10 10 .500 3.0 5-5 5-5 L2 Chattanooga 10 10 .500 3.0 5-5 5-5 L1 Huntsville 10 10 .500 3.0 5-5 5-5 W1 West Tenn 6 14 .300 7.0 1-9 5-5 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 10 7 .588 - 8-3 2-4 W2 Palm Beach 8 7 .533 1.0 7-5 1-2 W2 Daytona 9 8 .529 1.0 4-2 5-6 L1 Vero Beach 9 8 .529 1.0 3-3 6-5 W1 Jupiter 7 8 .467 2.0 2-2 5-6 W1 Brevard County 7 10 .412 3.0 3-6 4-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 13 5 .722 - 8-2 5-3 W3 Lakewood 10 8 .556 3.0 4-3 6-5 L1 Hagerstown 9 8 .529 3.5 3-4 6-4 L2 Delmarva 9 9 .500 4.0 2-5 7-4 W3 Lake County 9 9 .500 4.0 3-5 6-4 W2 Greensboro 6 12 .333 7.0 2-8 4-4 L3 Hickory 6 12 .333 7.0 3-6 3-6 L2 Lexington 4 14 .222 9.0 2-9 2-5 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 13 7 .650 - 5-1 8-6 W1 Great Falls 13 7 .650 - 8-4 5-3 W3 Helena 10 10 .500 3.0 5-6 5-4 L1 Missoula 4 16 .200 9.0 1-10 3-6 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 9 4 .692 - 3-3 6-1 W2 AZL Giants 8 5 .615 1.0 5-2 3-3 L1 AZL Cubs 7 6 .538 2.0 6-1 1-5 W3 AZL Padres 7 6 .538 2.0 6-1 1-5 W1 AZL Rangers 7 6 .538 2.0 3-3 4-3 L3 AZL Royals 7 6 .538 2.0 6-1 1-5 L2 AZL Athletics 6 7 .462 3.0 3-3 3-4 W2 AZL Mariners 5 8 .385 4.0 3-3 2-5 L2 AZL Brewers 2 10 .167 6.5 2-4 0-6 L1

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

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". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, 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. Nashville Game One: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_nasaaa_omaaaa_1 Nashville Game Two: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_nasaaa_omaaaa_2 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_hunaax_cngaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_lakafa_breafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_wvaafx_savafx_1 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_idarok_helrok_1 Arizona: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_08_brrrok_angrok_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central except Arizona League; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP's Lindsay Gulin and Steve Hammond in a double-dip at Omaha (Royals), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 PM gametime; each contest seven innings Audio link via WNSR, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t556 Huntsville: LHP David Welch at Chattanooga (Reds), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime Audio link via WUMP, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... West Virginia: LHP Dan Merklinger at Savannah (Mets), 5:45 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime; the Savannah press listed Amaury Rivas (it's his turn), but the Brewers are going to work on limiting Rivas' innings, Merklinger pitches on normal rest... Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t525 Helena: TBD at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime Audio link via KCAP, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433 Arizona: RHP Luis Guerrero at the Angels' complex in Tempe, 10:30 AM local Mountain Standard Time Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew...

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

Keep in mind the Southern League is only a ten-team league, so the squad Huntsville players are on is only made up of five teams. So at minimum, an average Stars' squad would garner five All-Stars anyway. I'm not diminishing what folks have said about this group, from Peter Gammons to everyone else, but let's not let that fact cloud the big picture. That number in the Sally League or PCL would truly be gigantic.

Brian Massey of the Stars' staff with the update: The Southern League released a revised SL North All-Star team roster, which includes Stars' left fielder Cole Gillespie. Gillespie will be taking the spot of injured Carolina Mudcat and Florida Marlin top prospect Cameron Maybin. Gillespie is batting .277 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI. He is currently second in the Southern League in doubles (28) and third in the league in extra base hits (44).

Link while active, text follows: Bryson honored to be part of Sabathia trade William Penn grad one of four minor leaguers leaving Brewers system in exchange for Cy Young winner By KEVIN TRESOLINI The Delaware News Journal On Sunday, Rob Bryson learned he had been promoted. Then, 45 minutes later, the William Penn High graduate found out he had been traded. Both reflected positively on the right-handed pitcher's baseball promise, and that thought gave him a positive push as he packed for the drive from Charleston, W.Va., to Cleveland on Monday afternoon. The floundering Indians acquired Bryson, 20, and three other minor leaguers from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for CC Sabathia. The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner will be a free agent after this season. "I feel honored for the Indians to think that highly of me that they'd trade a Cy Young winner, a future Hall of Famer," Bryson said. "I'm excited." Bryson, a second-year pro, was 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA but had 73 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 55 innings for the Brewers' West Virginia Power in the low Class A South Atlantic League. He began the season as a starter but is now pitching out of the bullpen, where he'll also work in the Cleveland system. "I'm a bullpen guy," he said. After meeting today with Cleveland officials, Bryson will be assigned to the Lake County Captains in Eastlake, Ohio, just outside Cleveland. They also play in the South Atlantic League. But Bryson said he expects to be promoted to the Kinston Indians of the high Class A Carolina League in the next two weeks. Kinston visits the Blue Rocks July 25-27. If he is not promoted by then, Bryson will face his old teammates as the Captains host the Power that weekend. After Sunday night's home game against the Hagerstown Suns, Bryson had been informed he was being sent up to the Brevard County Manatees of the high A Florida State League. "I got called into the manager's office and, after that, my teammates were all congratulating me," Bryson said. "Apparently, the trade had already happened but they hadn't told anybody yet. I had my plane ticket. I was looking forward to playing in Florida near where I went to junior college. Then I got called back in and they said I was traded." Milwaukee also sent Cleveland Class AA left fielder Matt LaPorta and Class AAA pitcher Zach Jackson. A fourth player will be named later. William Penn coach Mel Gardner, who had read reports that Sabathia was being dealt to Milwaukee for players to be named later Sunday, sensed Bryson would be one of them. Bryson spoke with him just after he received the news he had been swapped. "At first, he wasn't so sure about the whole thing," said Gardner, a former Texas Rangers scout. "I told him, 'That's an honor, a tribute to you.' Milwaukee didn't want to give him up, but they're playing for now, to make a run at the pennant." The Brewers chose Bryson in the 31st round of the 2006 draft, after his senior year at William Penn. Bryson was named all-state that year and in 2005. He then pitched for a year at Seminole (Fla.) Community College in 2007, and was signed by Milwaukee, which still retained his rights, just before the 2007 draft. Bryson's fastball has topped out at 97 mph this season, and "he's always had good control," Gardner said. An improved slider has made him more effective. "The Indians had been trying to get me since junior college," Bryson said. "It's tough to leave these guys I've been with every day for two years. Now it's kind of like my whole career is taking a turn. But it's definitely a compliment [to be traded] and I'm happy."

Cleveland Indians acquire big bat in minor-league outfielder Matt LaPorta Newly acquired prospect known mostly for hitting Brad Shepard Special to The Cleveland Plain Dealer Huntsville, Ala. -- Matt LaPorta's fan mail flowed so freely into the Class AA Huntsville Stars clubhouse that the team got its top prospect his own mailbox. From the buffet line to a bathroom stall, the mailbox kept popping up in the oddest of places. But no matter where it was, it was nearly always full. The Indians may have gotten rid of one of their most popular players when they shipped pitcher CC Sabathia to Milwaukee, but the player they got in return had almost a cult following among Brewers fans. He is a strong character guy who is a devout Christian and won't likely cause any off-the-field problems, and did not appear to have any issues with teammates in Huntsville. Sabathia's power arm is gone from the roster, but replacing it is one of the most promising young power hitters in minor-league baseball. "They've got to find a position for him because he's an average defensive player," one longtime scout said recently. "But he'll go as far as his offense takes him." Over his first 114 minor-league games after being taken seventh overall in last year's MLB draft, the former Florida Gator has 32 home runs and 97 RBI.

Link while active, text follows: Captains' Davis played at Florida with LaPorta David S. Glasier DGlasier@News-Herald.com Lake County Captains catcher Adam Davis has some insider information on Matt LaPorta, the hard-hitting outfielder the Indians received from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade. Davis, who singled and scored a run Monday in Lake County's 9-2 victory over Hickory at Classic Park, played against LaPorta when they were Florida high-school standouts in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte, respectively. In August 2003, both accepted scholarships at the University of Florida. Over the next three years, Davis set school records for hitting by a second baseman while LaPorta, then playing first base, proved to be one of the more accomplished sluggers in UF history. When he learned Sunday that the Indians and Brewers had agreed on the deal that also brought Class A pitcher Rob Bryson, Class AAA pitcher Zach Jackson and a player to be named later to the Indians, Davis sent a text message to his former UF teammate. "I told him, 'Welcome to the Indians. You're going to like it here,' " Davis replied when asked for the specifics of the message he sent to the 6-foot-2, 212-pound LaPorta. The Indians selected Davis in the third round of the June 2006 draft. At 23, he's in his third pro season. LaPorta, also 23, is in his second pro season. The Brewers took him with seventh pick overall in the first round of the June 2007 draft. This season, at Class AA Huntsville in the Southern League, LaPorta was batting .288 with a league-high 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 84 games. "Matt is a good, smart baseball player who knows what he wants to do and is willing to put in the work to attain his goal of playing in the big leagues. He's a great guy, too," Davis said of La Porta. For as long as he's known LaPorta, Davis said, the solidly built left-handed batter has had great power to all fields. "It's no secret that there isn't a lot of power now in the (Indians' minor-league) system. Matt brings a lot of that to the table," Davis said. The Indians assigned LaPorta to Class AA Akron. He's scheduled to make his debut for the Aeros at 7:05 Tuesday night (6:05 Central) when they host the Bowie BaySox. Bryson is slated to join the Captains today. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-hander is changing teams but not leagues, having spent this season with the SAL's West Virginia Power. He is 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 22 appearances, five of them starts. Two of those starts were against the Captains. Bryson was 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings against Lake County. He will work out of the bullpen. With an above-average fastball and slider (73 strikeouts in 55 innings this season), Bryson was one of Milwaukee's better-regarded pitching prospects. Going into the 2008 campaign, Baseball America projected him to be the Brewers' closer in 2011.

Link while active, text follows: Matt LaPorta: Why the deal was done By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times With Ryan Braun and Corey Hart entrenched at the corner outfield spots in Milwaukee, the Brewers said Huntsville right fielder Matt LaPorta became expendable. Braun is a starter for the National League All-Stars, and Hart has blossomed into a solid player, so LaPorta became the centerpiece prospect of a trade with Cleveland that sent CC Sabathia to Milwaukee. The deal was finalized Monday, with the Brewers giving up pitchers Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson and a player to be named. "This opportunity doesn't present itself very often. When it does, you'd better take advantage of it," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash told The Times. "You have to give up something to get something, and we have an abundance of outfielders." Though LaPorta wasn't the only prospect dealt to the Indians for the 2007 American League Cy Young winner, he was the marquee name. Ash said discussions with Cleveland heated up the past two or three days but were ongoing for a couple of weeks. Huntsville shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mat Gamel were discussed, but Ash said the organization valued Escobar's defense and Gamel's left-handed bat too much to include them in a deal. He noted that LaPorta was the Indians' top target "from the get-go." MLB.com reported Stars center fielder Michael Brantley and Single-A Brevard County third baseman Taylor Green are two of the names being evaluated to conclude the deal. Indians general manager Mark Shapiro told the Cleveland Plain Dealer the Indians have until the end of the season to pick the final player. "I think it would be safe to say there have been flags put on key players," said Indians scout Doug Carpenter, who was at Joe Davis Stadium to watch the Stars play Monday night. "Now it's just a matter of our pro scouting staff scouting those players, identifying them and seeing what is the best fit for the organization." Carpenter said "under no circumstances" could he identify the players who are being evaluated. LaPorta will report to Cleveland's Double-A affiliate Akron on Tuesday, but team officials would not speculate on when he's projected to be called up. Carpenter said the Indians were pleased they got their man both talent-wise and from a personality standpoint. "We've been on him since he was on the high-school level, so there's a lot of history in regard to evaluation," Carpenter said. "He can be an offensive force at the major-league level and a good fit for our lineup when he is ready." As LaPorta packed his bags early Monday, the Brewers promoted 22-year-old outfield prospect Lorenzo Cain to Huntsville. Cain is lightning-fast and an exceptional defensive player with developing power. He was hitting .287 with seven homers, 41 RBIs and 19 steals in 23 tries at Brevard County. Still, it's going to be difficult to replace LaPorta, especially with the simultaneous loss of first baseman Chris Errecart to a broken hand. "We lose 33 home runs in two days, of course it's going to take a chunk out of the lineup," said Stars manager Don Money. "You replace it with speed. That's kind of tough. "For LaPorta to be in uniform not quite a year, he'd achieved some big offensive goals. Defensively, he still needs work, he's raw and shows an average arm." Cain will be a defensive upgrade for Huntsville, but LaPorta's departure will mean less protection for No. 3 hitter Gamel, who is batting .374 so far with either LaPorta or catcher Angel Salome behind him. Gamel said he hadn't thought about getting fewer pitches to hit, but while LaPorta's offense will be a big loss, his clubhouse presence won't necessarily be, Gamel said. LaPorta wasn't one of the players who came up in the system together like some of the others. Cain is one of those guys. "I don't really think he shared that friendship or camaraderie we have because we've been together two or three years," Gamel said. "But we tried to make him feel like he was part of the family."

Link while active, text follows: Stars earn split with Barons Sixth-run seventh carries Huntsville to 9-2 victory By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times During the bottom of the seventh inning, Huntsville starting pitcher Donovan Hand trotted to the bullpen to throw a few warm-up tosses. As unusual as it was to see a starter loosening up at that juncture, this was a good sign for Huntsville. The Stars erupted for six runs in the seventh to break open the game and defeat Birmingham 9-2 in front of 2,125 fans at Joe Davis Stadium. "That's never a bad thing," Hand said of his extra bullpen session. "It means the team is scoring runs. It was late in the game, and I'd thrown a lot of pitches, so I just wanted to stay loose." On the day Brewers prospect Matt LaPorta officially headed to the Cleveland organization, the Stars' offense shrugged off his departure. The only Huntsville player who failed to get a hit was LaPorta's right-field replacement, the newly promoted Lorenzo Cain. Though the newest Star didn't have a memorable night, two newer Stars did. The first was Hand, the Hatton High School product who enjoyed his longest outing and received his first Double-A win of the year. Hand entered 0-2 with a 4.87 earned run average, but he benefited from four double plays and settled down after giving up two towering early- inning home runs. "After the first three innings when they were super-aggressive, I started throwing my sinker out of the zone and a lot of fastballs," Hand said. "I got a lot of ground-ball outs." The other catalyst was newly promoted catcher Martin Maldonado, who came up from Brevard County last week. Maldonado, hitting .077, jumped on a second-inning pitch from Carlos Torres for his first home run as a Star, added an RBI single and called a solid game behind the plate. "I know what (Hand) has got," Maldonado said. "We've been together since Low-A, so he's comfortable with me, and I'm comfortable with him." Freddy Parejo and Alcides Escobar had two-run singles in the seventh, while Cole Gillespie and Angel Salome also added two hits. Injured first baseman Chris Errecart went on the disabled list with a broken bone in his hand, and he will go to Arizona today for an MRI to see if he needs surgery.

Savannah Morning News: SEEING STARS: Hardly looking like a team that got to Savannah on Monday morning after a nine-hour bus ride, West Virginia scored three runs in the top of the first inning and made it hold up for the final difference. Not that they hit the ball hard in the stanza. Balls flared just over the infield, or hugged the inside of the left-field line to stay fair. Savannah starter Josh Stinson (2-5) got no favors from the baseball gods, though he didn't help himself by hitting two batters. Once past the first, he was solid, but the Gnats couldn't match the scoring output. "To score early, a lot of times you have to get the dinks to fall in," West Virginia left fielder Eric Fryer said ... The lone offensive bright spot for Savannah was leadoff batter Greg Veloz, who was 2-for-2 with two walks and one run scored. He has a team-best 13-game hitting streak. DECISION MAKING: Lanky right-hander R.J. Seidel (6-4) had a very workmanlike night, going a season-best seven full innings and scattering five singles without ever looking in trouble. Reed Dickert earned his first save with two innings of relief. "Our pitchers have been keeping us in ballgames, keeping us close," Fryer said of the team's 13-5 start to the second half. QUOTABLE: "I think everyone slept pretty well on the bus. We came out ready to play." - West Virginia outfielder/catcher Eric Fryer, whose team left Charleston, W.Va., by bus at around 10:30 p.m. Sunday and arrived in Savannah at around 7:30 a.m. Monday. GNATS GNOTES: The announced home attendance of 537 was the smallest of the season. The previous low was 552 on April 14 against Columbus ... The Gnats left just one runner on base, to seven for the Power. Some tiny pictures here.

Final: Nashville 4, Omaha (Royals) 2, 5.2 innings, rain Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Mark DiFelice photo, text follows -- Sounds Defeat Royals In Rain-Shortened Contest OMAHA - The Nashville Sounds recorded a rain-shortened, five-inning 4-2 victory over the Omaha Royals on Monday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium in the opener of a five-game series. The Sounds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Omaha starter Roman Colon. Mel Stocker led off with a single and stole second before scoring the contest's first run on catcher Vinny Rottino's two-out RBI single. Nashville doubled its advantage in the second with another two-out run when Adam Heether drew an inning-opening walk, moved to third on a Stocker single, and scored on Tony Gwynn's RBI single to left. Rightfielder Brendan Katin extended the Sounds' lead to 4-0 in the fifth when he belted his 12th home run of the season, a two-out, two-run shot to center off Colon that also plated Rottino, who had preceded him with a two-out single. Nashville starter Mark DiFelice opened the contest with four hitless innings before the Royals' offense finally got going in the fifth, plating a pair of runs to halve the Sounds' lead. Brian Buchanan led off with a single for the home team's first knock of the evening and moved to third when Angel Sanchez followed with a double to left. Chris Lubanski delivered Omaha's third straight knock to open the frame, an RBI single to right. The Royals added their second score later in the frame on a Shane Costa sacrifice fly. DiFelice (4-0) picked up his fourth win in five starts this season after he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out a pair of batters in his five innings of work. Randy Choate, who had allowed a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the sixth inning and faced a two-out batter with runners on second and third when the rains came, was credited with his first save of the year. Colon (2-3) was dealt the loss for the Royals. He surrendered four runs on eight hits over five frames. The teams continue the series with a 5:05 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday that makes up an April 25 postponement. All-Star left-hander Lindsay Gulin (4-4, 3.02) will start the opener for the Sounds and face Royals right-hander Carlos Rosa (3-2, 4.89). Southpaw Steve Hammond (0-2, 8.10) will man the bump for Nashville in the nightcap to face an undetermined Omaha hurler. Nashville Box Score Unusual save for randy Choate -- thank you, Mother Nature, Choate's 30-day rehab allotment must be up soon; Mark DiFelice walks no one (again), but did hit a batter -- he's economical; Mel Stocker three hits, Adam Heether reached all three times up... Nashville Game Log

Final: Huntsville 9, Birmingham (White Sox) 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Huntsville Offense Reawakens in Victory Over Barons Hand goes the Distance to Gain Series Split By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Donovan Hand tossed a complete game to earn his first double-A win and Huntsville broke open a close contest with a six-run seventh inning en route to a 9-2 victory over Birmingham Monday night in the last of a four-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars split the series to move to 10-10 in the second half and stay three behind North Division leading Tennessee, while the Barons dropped to 12-8 in the second half and into a first place tie with Mississippi in the South Division. Huntsville collected 13 hits after being held to four runs on 15 hits in the first three games. Victor Mercedes' home run in the first inning staked the Barons to the lead, as they scored first in all four games and did so three times with a long ball. The Stars tied the game in the home first with an unearned run and moved ahead 2-1 in the second on Martin Maldonado's first home run at the double-A level and just the fourth allowed all season by Baron's starter Carlos Torres over 98 2/3 innings. Lee Cruz led off the third inning with a long ball, his first at the double-A level, to tie the game before the Stars took the lead for good in the home half. Alcides Escobar started the inning with a double and scored one out later on Angel Salome's two-base hit. Torres walked two to load the bases before striking out Maldonado to end the inning and his night after allowing three hits, walking three and striking out five. Fernando Hernandez worked two scoreless innings and Joe Torres tossed a scoreless sixth before Shaun Babula was knocked around for six runs on seven hits in the seventh. The first five Stars' hitters of the frame all picked up a hit and scored, as Salome and Maldonado singled home runs and Freddy Parejo and Escobar each singled in a pair. The Stars strung together seven hits in the inning, their most in any single frame this season. Hand allowed only four singles after the third inning and finished off his performance by striking out Stefan Gartrell and getting Javier Colina to ground out to end the game with runners at second and third. Hand allowed eight hits, walked one, struck out two and was aided by four inning-ending double plays. The Hatton, AL native recorded 15 ground ball outs in throwing the Stars third nine-inning complete game this season. The Stars open a five-game series Tuesday night at Chattanooga with left-hander David Welch making the start against Lookouts' right-hander Jordan Smith. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com. Huntsville Box Score Standing ovation for Donovan Hand to end it, no doubt; Alcides Escobar part of all four Star twin killings... Huntsville Game Log

Final: Brevard County 9, Lakeland (Tigers) 5 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Manatees Offense Explodes in 9-5 Win By Tyler Stover / Brevard County Manatees (Viera, FL) The Brevard County offense erupted for 15 hits Monday night, bashing the Lakeland Flying Tigers in their series opener, 9-5. Chuck Caufield led the charge with a 4-4 performance at the plate, scoring three runs, including his third home run of the season in the seventh inning. Yohannis Perez chipped in with three hits, including a triple, while driving in three runs. Darren Ford, Brent Brewer, and Stephen Chapman each had two hits to boost the Manatees offensive attack. Lakeland was held to just six hits in the game, but was able to stay close due to a couple big hits. Ryan Strieby crushed a Zach Braddock pitch over the wall for a two-run homer in the sixth inning, cutting the Manatees' lead to 4-2. After the Manatees responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, Jeramy Laster ripped a double off the centerfield fence, scoring two more runs. He later came around to score on James Skelton's single, making the score 7-5. Braddock (4-5) earned the win for the Manatees, going six strong innings, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out eight. He now has 60 strikeouts on the season in just 50.2 innings. Matt O'Brien (5-5) was rocked for 7 runs and 11 hits, taking the loss for Lakeland. Casey Baron and Mike McClendon each pitched a perfect inning in relief to close out the game. Brevard County is now 2-2 on the homestand. The second game of the four-game set is Tuesday at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central). Brevard County Box Score Of course, after I point out the relative weakness in the numbers of the Manatee lineup, five of those players have a multi-hit game and combine for five extra-base hits -- that's it guys, take it out on me; Stephen Chapman was replaced in the top of the 8th after scoring from second base on a single in the 7th, hopefully OK... Brevard County Game Log Chuck Caufield led the Manatees attack with four hits, including a double and his third home run of the season. (MiLB.com Photo by Dennis Greenblatt) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/07/07/gDePqyYh.jpg

Final: West Virginia 5, Savannah (Mets) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: SEIDEL SIZZLES IN SAVANNAH R.J. Seidel allowed just a pair of unearned runs on five hits through seven innings of work against Savannah on Monday night as the Power began their eight-game road trip with a 5-2 victory over the Sand Gnats. The Power spotted Seidel an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Lee Haydel kicked it off with a double and scored on Eric Fryer's base hit. Fryer and Eric Farris were on base when Steffan Wilson singled into center field to score Farris. Savannah Sand center fielder Richard Pena bobbled the ball in center field and allowed Fryer to score on the play as well. West Virginia added another run in the fourth inning when Haydel's single scored Anderson De La Rosa. The Sand Gnats got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Juan Lagares's sacrifice fly that scored Greg Veloz. The Power answered in the sixth inning on Farris's two-out RBI single. Savannah scored the final run of the game in the seventh inning when Lagares scored on Sean McCraw's sacrifice fly. Seidel (6-4) turned in his longest outing of the season to get the victory, giving him a victory in each of his last four starts. Reed Dickert (1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to get the save. Josh Stinson (2-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits over four and two-thirds. The Power improved to 45-42 on the year and 13-5 in the second half with the win. The Sand Gnats fell to 40-48 on the year and 7-11 in the second half with the loss. Farris extended his hitting streak to ten games while Fryer extended his to eight. Haydel, Farris and Wilson paced the Power with two hits apiece. Wilson has now hit safely in 12 straight road games. The Power will continue the four-game series against Savannah Tuesday night. Left hander Dan Merklinger (3-5, 6.70) will make the start for the Power. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM (6:00 Central). West Virginia Box Score Wonderful to see steady progress from LaCrosse's R.J. Seidel; Power turns three double plays... West Virginia Game Log

Lorenzo Cain starting in right field tonight for Huntsville, batting 9th. Check out thar Brevard lineup and batting averages. Lucroy and Green sure stand out -- so productive in that league. Didn't everybody think we'd be following the "Bryson and Tyson" show for a lot longer? First Nick gets sent back to Helena, breaking up the tandem, and then the trade. What an awkward situation with Green and Brantley, and hopefully the Indians decide sooner rather than later, although they'll wait a while before they even see Brantley closely. Most folks are big fans of both kids, and you'd hate to almost root for your favorite to underperform for a bit, so the Indians go with the other. That being said, "Welcome CC!"

Ryan has stated they have to wait and see how his sore hand holds up this week.

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