Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times At least for a night, the Stars' lineup suffered without Chris Errecart and his .291 batting average, 13 homers and 33 RBIs. They had only one hit through the first 6 1/3 innings and then failed to muster any sort of a rally afterward. "It's tough when you have two producers (Errecart and Michael Brantley) out of the lineup, but at the same time, we've got some guys who can come off the bench who have to produce," Stars left fielder Cole Gillespie said. "Right now, we've got to find a way to score runs." Shortstop Alcides Escobar had a single off the third baseman's glove in the first, and Huntsville didn't get another hit off Dewon Day or Ryan O'Malley until the seventh. With one out, Mat Gamel ended the hitless streak with a single, and Angel Salome singled behind him to put runners on first and third with one out, but Matt LaPorta grounded into a rally-killing double play. Then in the eighth, Gillespie legged out a stand-up triple, but J.R. Hopf popped out, Mike Bell, who narrowly missed a home run that was just foul earlier in the game, struck out looking and Martin Maldonado grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat. "That's the way things are going," Money said. "Guys are getting the opportunities and not getting the runs in. The bottom of the order is not getting the job done when they're getting a chance." The lack of offense wasted a strong effort from starter Mike Jones, who allowed just one run and three hits in five innings. Patrick Ryan and Omar Aguilar allowed two runs apiece in relief. "We got no hits, no runs, no pitching, no defense, nothing," Money said. "Game over."

Officially, neither Errecart nor Brantley is on the DL. Surely Chris will be eventually, Michael, maybe not, as he's already been out since June 27.

Link while active, text follows: Stars get bad news Bone in Errecart's hand is broken By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times Any lineup is going to suffer when two all-stars are subtracted from it, and that's what the Huntsville Stars are facing for the foreseeable future. With leadoff hitter Michael Brantley already sitting because of an ankle sprain suffered in Carolina, the Stars received some dismal news on first baseman Chris Errecart on Saturday. Trying to leg out a hit Friday, Errecart lost his balance and fell on his right hand. He found out Saturday that he has a broken scaphoid, a bone at the base of the thumb near the wrist. Errecart wasn't in the lineup during the Stars' 5-0 loss to Birmingham in front of 2,278 fans at Joe Davis Stadium and likely won't be for at least 4-6 weeks, according to manager Don Money. There will be more tests for Errecart on Monday. With Brantley out until possibly the all-star break and Errecart gone for longer, Huntsville's vaunted lineup just got a lot less daunting. "It's a bummer," Errecart said. "I was surprised when I made the all-star team and really excited about it. My parents and sister were coming over, and then this happened. Needless to say, I don't think they'll be coming. "I was having a pretty good year. Hopefully, it doesn't end like this. From what I hear, it's not the fastest-healing bone in the body."

Final: Helena 5, Billings (Reds) 4 Held on for dear life, as the Mustangs strand 13, including three in their three-run 9th inning... Helena Box Score Encouraging three-inning start for RHP Wily Peralta; Brock Kjeldgaard three hits, all the details in the AM -- oh wait, it is the AM, heh... Helena Game Log

Link Report Bonus: Why can't Sally League teams win at home? From Greenville to Greensboro, losing records point to astonishing trend By the way, the Power are 20-22 at home, 23-20 on the road...

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 5, Brevard County 4, 11 innings Game Summary from the Cubs' Site: Bullpen Blows Lead, But Cubs Prevail To Win Daytona Pulls the Plug on Brevard County's Win Streak [VIERA, FL] The Daytona offense needed to rebound after last night's one-run performance that amounted to a loss. They were able to put enough runs on the scoreboard to support a phenomenal pitching performance by starter Grant Johnson, but the bullpen blew it in the ninth and the Cubs needed extras to win the game. Johnson has been in the process of stretching out his arm and making the move into the starting rotation. He made a huge step forward as he pitched five innings giving up one run on five hits, walking none and striking out four. The Cubs scored their first four runs in the fourth. Brevard County had a one-run lead off a Jimmy Mojica solo home run when Daytona came to the plate against Manatee RHP Josh Butler. Hot hitting Robinson Chirinos started with a single. Blake Lalli followed him with the same results. Yusuf Carter grounded into a fielder's choice, but Steve Clevenger followed with a walk to load the bases. Jonathan Mota came up and stroked a single into centerfield to bring in Carter and Lalli. Ryan Harvey then hit his seventh double to bring Clevenger. Darwin Barney ended the scoring in the inning when he grounded out to bring in Mota. That put the Cubs up 4-1. The Manatees put another run up in the sixth and threatened to take the game over in the eighth. Blake Parker entered the game and ended the threat by retiring the only batter he faced in that inning. He stayed on in the ninth and that spelled trouble. With runners on first and third, Parker gave up a single to Jonathan Lucroy as the Manatees crept closer to tying the game. That happened when Taylor Green smashed a single into right field to bring in the tying run from second base. Barney had a chance to end it with a ground ball hit toward him, but he booted it and gave the Manatees the chance for the win. With the bases loaded, Parker was able to strike out Stephen Chapman to send the game into extra innings. The Cubs struck first in extras in the eleventh inning. Russ Canzler was on second base when Clevenger lined a base hit. Canzler came into score on the single and put the Cubs on top, 5-4. The lights went out briefly at Space Coast Stadium, which delayed play for about 20 minutes. When the lights came back on, the Cubs turned them out again as they were able to get the final outs. Jeremy Papelbon earns the win in relief, Mike McClendon is charged with the loss. The series concludes tomorrow at Space Coast Stadium. Game time is 1:00 PM (12:00 Central). Brevard County Box Score Lorenzo Cain is tearing it up, on base four times; Taylor Green nearly kept up, on base three times -- no word on the rumor each had Chief Wahoo taped over their Manatee hat emblem; heck, forget the big league Brewers, what does this Brevard lineup look like without those two? That's sarcasm, folks. It wasn't stellar, but getting through seven innings is something Josh Butler can hang his hat on, he last did it back on May 18th; Jonathan's brother the save for the Cubbies... Brevard County Game Log

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 5, Huntsville 0 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Huntsville Can't Take Advantage of Smokies Loss By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Dewon Day and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout and Birmingham hit three solo home runs in blanking Huntsville 5-0 Saturday night in the second of a four-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Barons improved to 11-7 in the second half and won their league-best 51st game, while the Stars slipped to 9-9 in the second half and remain two games behind Tennessee in the North Division. The Stars were shutout for only the second time this season and have dropped five out of seven against the Barons. Huntsville starter Mike Jones retired the first five batters he faced before Micah Schnurstein drilled a line-drive home run to left-center field, his fourth of the season, to give the visitors the lead. Ricardo Nanita led off the fourth with a walk, moved to third on a one-out double by Javier Colina but was thrown out at the plate by third baseman Mat Gamel on a Schnurstein ground ball. Jones suffered the loss after going five frames, giving up a run on three hits, walking one and not recording a strikeout in his longest outing of the year. Patrick Ryan took over in the sixth inning and allowed a run-scoring double with two outs by Colina and another run in the seventh on a fielder's choice grounder by Miguel Negron. He lasted three innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and was replaced by Omar Aguilar, who surrendered solo home runs in the ninth to Negron and Ricardo Nanita. Aguilar had allowed only one home run, on June 6, before tonight in 11 outings. Day went four innings in his longest start, allowing just one single, walking two and fanning one. Ryan O'Malley set down the first seven he faced before Gamel and Angel Salome singled in the seventh. Matt LaPorta then grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Barons turned three twin-killings in the game and have turned the most of any team in the minor leagues. Cole Gillespie tripled to lead off the eighth before J.R. Hopf popped out for the first out and O'Malley was relieved by John Lujan, who struck out Mike Bell and got Martin Maldonado on a come-backer to end the frame. He retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save and preserve the win for O'Malley, who had allowed eight runs on 11 hits in a start against the Stars on May 24. The series continues Sunday night with southpaw Brae Wright taking the hill against Barons' left-hander Aaron Poreda. Coverage of the game begins at 4:50 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 Stars outhit, 12-4; Barons turned three double plays, as the Stars only sent three men above the minimum to the plate; there was no way Patrick Ryan was going to keep up his other-worldly spring pace; we tried to temper enthusiasm for Omar Aguilar's jump to AA -- it's a big hike, as he's finding out... Huntsville Game Log

I know which play you're thinking of, it may have beem an Arizona Fall League game that MiLB.com had video of. It wasn't the Futures Game.

Final: West Virginia 3, Hagerstown (Nationals) 2, ten innings West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER SQUEEZE OUT VICTORY IN 10 Eric Farris laid down a squeeze bunt with Matt Cline on third base in the tenth inning of Saturday night's game at Appalachian Power Park to plate the winning run in West Virginia's 3-2 victory over the Hagerstown Suns. West Virginia took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Farris, Eric Fryer and Caleb Gindl ripped three consecutive one-out singles. Gindl's base hit scored Farris and Steffan Wilson's groundout plated Fryer. Tim Pahuta doubled in Boomer Whiting and Valerio Heredia in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game. Heading into the tenth inning, West Virginia had been held without a hit since the fourth inning. Cline walked with one out and stole second base. Lee Haydel walked on eight pitches and the final pitch of the at bat was a wild pitch, putting Cline on third base. Farris laid down the squeeze bunt on a 2-1 pitch to plate Cline. In his first relief outing of the second half, Mike Ramlow (3-3) kept the Suns off the board over four and a third innings, allowed just two hits and struck out two to get the victory. Justin Phillabaum (1-2) gave up the winning run in the tenth and was tagged with the loss. Evan Anundsen retired the first ten batters he faced and allowed a pair of runs on four hits with five strikeouts over five and two-thirds. The Power improved to 43-42 on the year and 11-5 in the second half with the win. The Suns fell to 43-42 on the year and 9-7 in the second half with the loss. Farris, Fryer and Gindl all extended their hitting streaks. Farris has hit safely in eight straight, Fryer extended his hitting streak to six games and Ginld has hit safely in 11 straight. The victory was West Virginia's third in their final at-bat this season and their third in extra innings. The Power will finish the four-game series against Hagerstown Sunday night. Right hander Roque Mercedes (2-4, 5.98) will get the start for the Power and the Suns will counter with right hander Cole Kimball (3-4, 5.83). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM (5:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score Evan Anundsen still getting his groundouts, and he and Mike Ramlow teamed for ten wonderful innings -- better than just a nice season for each thus far... West Virginia Game Log

Final: Round Rock (Astros) 10, Nashville 5 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Tony Gwynn, Jr. photo, text follows -- Sounds Outslugged By Express In 10-5 Loss NASHVILLE - Each Sounds pitcher gave up a home run as Nashville lost 10-5 in a slugfest with the Round Rock Express on Saturday night at Greer Stadium. Despite out-hitting the Express with multiple-hit efforts from five Sounds starters, Nashville left eight men on base and gave up a four-run lead to drop its fourth game in a row. The Express got on the board in the top of the first inning when Edwin Maysonet doubled on a 3-2 pitch off Sounds starter Richie Gardner to left field and then scored on a single from Nick Gorneault to right field. Gorneault, who had two RBIs on the night, now has eight RBIs in six games against the Sounds this year. The Sounds offense finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning against Express starter Kyle Middleton with a five-run rally that was capped off by a three-run home run from Tony Gwynn. The longball was Gwynn's first on the year and the first in his last 573 at bats. His last homer came on August 22, 2006 against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Greer Stadium. AUDIO: Tony Gwynn's 1st HR Since 2006 Ozzie Chavez also notched an RBI single during the rally, and Gardner helped his own cause with a fielder's choice bunt that scored Adam Heether from third base. The five-run inning was the largest scoring output for the Sounds in the last four games. Gardner pitched five consecutive scoreless innings and retired 11 batters in a row at one point before giving up three runs in the top of the sixth. J.R. House led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a single by Gorneault. Former Brewer farmhand Jackson Melian then followed with a two-run homer over the right field wall off Gardner. The home run was Melian's first of the year for the Express. Round Rock then took the lead in the top of the seventh inning after reliever Randy Choate came in for Gardner. Choate retired the first two batters before giving up a walk to Maysonet and a single to House. Mark Saccomanno then stepped up to the plate and crushed a 1-0 offering over the center field wall for his 19th home run of the season. The Express then tacked on two more runs in the top of the eighth inning when Ray Sadler belted a two-run homer off Sounds reliever Ben Howard over the guitar scoreboard in left field. The longball was Sadler's 11th on the year and scored Tommy Manzella, who singled in the previous at-bat. House added his ninth home run of the year in the top of the ninth off reliever Zack Jackson to bring the Express lead to five. Gardner pitched six innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits but did not factor in the decision. Choate (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up three earned runs in his one inning of work. Ex-Milwaukee Brewer Ray King (1-1) earned the win for the Express after recording two scoreless innings of relief work. Middleton gave up five runs off nine hits in four innings as the starter, and Michah Bowie threw a scoreless eighth inning before another former player within the Brewer organization, Milwaukee Rule 5 pick Jorge Sosa (although he never officially pitched for the club), pitched a perfect ninth to end the game for the Express. The Sounds will close out their Independence Day weekend homestand with the series finale against the Express at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday at Greer Stadium. Southpaw Sam Narron (5-3, 4.08) will man the bump for the Sounds against right-hander Ron Chiavacci (2-2, 6.67) for the Express. Nashville Box Score If the Brewers need to dip into Nashville's pitching staff beyond Mark DiFelice or Tim Dillard, watch out... Nashville Game Log

Odd outing from Will Inman tonight as evidenced by the game log -- 1-2-3 first inning, nifty escape jobs in the 2nd and 3rd, then some screwball happenings and a fairly abrupt hook in the 4th...

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Lindsay Gulin You definitely find yourself rooting for the 31-year-old soft-tossing southpaw...

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 5, Brevard County 4, 11 innings Apparently the Space Coast Stadium lights were being controlled by an off-site timer which was scheduled to shut off at 10:30 PM local time -- brilliant! Anyway, after the delay, Jonathan Lucroy hit a deep fly out, Taylor Green walked to place runners at 1st and 2nd with one out, but Charlie Fermaint looked at a called strike three (ugh) and Chuckie Caufield hit a weak groundout to end it; more details later...

Bottom of the 11th at Space Coast -- the lights go out at the Manatees' game; Cubs lead, 5-4, but Lorenzo Cain drew a leadoff walk before it got very dark...

Final: West Virginia 3, Hagerstown (Nationals) 2, ten innings Power win on a squeeze-off, as Eric Farris bunts in Matt Cline. Details, including audio, later on.... Final: Round Rock (Astros) 10, Nashville 5 LHP Randy Choate struggles in a second consecutive relief rehab outing and takes the loss, details in a bit... Extra innings in Brevard, 4-4 Jonathan Lucroy and Taylor Green RBI singles in the bottom of the 9th, sending the game to extras... Huntsville trailing late, Helena up early, both in shutout fashion -- hey, we're here all night, go listen to the Manatees...

Link while active, text follows: Ungs' biggest fan now cheering from high above Brilliant performance after mother passes By Jim Leitner, Dubuque (IA) Telegraph Herald Sports Editor Nic Ungs received a little divine intervention Thursday evening during his most brilliant performance of a physically and emotionally exhausting season. High above Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn., Jane Ungs cheered as loud and enthusiastically as she ever has during her son's eight-year professional baseball career. She aggressively disagreed with whatever jeers the home team's fans shouted and assured Nic everything would turn out OK as he worked through the occasional rough spot. Jane Ungs, who lived to watch Nic and brother Matt Ungs pursue their passion for baseball, lost an eight-year battle with cancer Wednesday at her home in Dyersville, Iowa. She was 51 years old. So, while Nic Ungs mustered up the courage to pitch the following night, Jane Ungs lent him a little extra strength. She was finally free of the pain that turned her family upside down, so she could act like every other baseball mother -- believing that her encouragement would make a difference. It did. Nic Ungs, in just his second appearance after a six-week stay on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his shoulder, tossed seven innings of one-hit ball for the Milwaukee Brewers' Double-A affiliate, the Huntsville Stars. The 28-year-old right-handed pitcher induced the Tennessee Smokies into 14 ground-ball outs in a 4-0 Southern League road victory. Ungs lowered his ERA to 0.75 in his two appearances with Huntsville. He began this season, his first in the Brewers' organization, at Triple-A Nashville and could return there as early as this month. "I'm just trying to get the feel of being back," he said Thursday night. "I'm enjoying the fact that I'm healthy again. And this is a great team to be associated with. "My catcher, (Martin) Maldonado, and I were on the same page. We had a good game plan going in. They're a pretty aggressive team, so I tried not to be predictable. I wanted to throw inside, throw away, change speeds and look for early contact, but not good contact." Ungs allowed only a two-out single to Matt Craig in the fourth inning. He walked two and struck out none. Jason Shiell pitched the final two innings. During his stint on the disabled list, Ungs made a late-June trip to Dyersville to visit his mother one last time. He tried to stay sharp by throwing bullpen sessions with his brother, also a former all-stater at Dyersville Beckman who manages the Dyersville Whitehawks semi-pro team. "I actually have it kind of easy, because I get to be away playing baseball all summer," Nic Ungs said on Sunday. "It's a lot tougher on my dad (Donnie) and my brother, because they have to deal with it on a daily basis. "It's hard because she used to really enjoy listening to my games on the Internet, and she couldn't do that." Jane Ungs' cancer kept her away from the road trips she and Donnie would have cherished as Nic pursued his dream of pitching on a Major League Baseball diamond. She saw him pitch for the Kane County Cougars of the Class A Midwest League in 2002 and did get to see his Triple-A debut four years later. The Florida Marlins' top affiliate just happened to be playing the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines when Nic got his first start for the Albuquerque Isotopes in April 2006. "It was pretty nerve-wracking, but it was also really exciting," Jane Ungs said after the game at Principal Park. "I got a little emotional, because it's been so long since I've seen him pitch. And, as a mother, you're always worried about how they'll do. He had one rough inning there, but I thought he did pretty good." Nic Ungs' career offered the perfect escape from Jane's pain, even if it came in three-hour increments every fifth day. You'll never find a more humble family that understands the value of hard work and humility. Even when baseball politics dealt him an unfair hand, his family would help keep things in perspective. "It really makes you proud," Donnie Ungs said after Nic's Triple-A debut. "We were talking the other night about how many people dream about the situation he's in and getting a chance to pitch at this level in front of the home fans. I couldn't believe how many people came down and how many people talk about his career back home. "We really appreciate it." It's easy to root for the Ungs family because of those values. And now, their biggest supporter will be cheering loudly from above. http://www.thonline.biz/article_photos/details/JaneUngs_color0.jpg *** Nic and the Ungs family, from all of us here at Brewerfan, you have our thoughts and prayers.

Final: Arizona Brewers 9, Arizona Royals 3 Arizona Box Score Best-played game this year all-around by far; Shawn Zarraga on base four times -- he's DH'ing when not behind the plate... Arizona Game Log

For all of you trade conspiracy theorists out there, Chris Errecart dinged his hand on a play prior to his departure from Friday's Huntsville game. Until we hear otherwise, consider him day-to-day. EDIT: OK, again for you trade conspiracy theorists out there, we've learned the reason Josh Butler is pitching today is because he only got one inning in before the rains came on July 1st. Also, when Jeffress does pitch Sunday, as he is scheduled to do, don't be surprised if it's the first day that the Brewers have the Brevard pitchers work on their "game-finishing" mind-set, as discussed recently in this MLB.com story. So while Jeremy will pitch, it likely won't be until the 4th inning or so.

BUMS SIGN NEWTON The Traverse City Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League have signed a fourth former member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization, infielder Eric Newton. Newton will join the team in Kalamazoo today. A native of San Jose, Calif., Newton played for the Helena Brewers in 2007 under former Beach Bums Manager Jeff Isom. He played first base, but will play both first and third for the Beach Bums. Newton hit .318 in 27 games for Helena with four homers and 17 RBI. He posted 85 at bats and notched 10 doubles. He was a teammate of current Beach Bums outfielder Mike Goetz in Helena. "Eric comes highly recommended out of the Brewers organization and we are excited to add him to our roster," Beach Bums Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel said. "He is an experienced hitter with plus power from the right side of the plate." Newton began his professional career in 2006, playing for a pair of short season Brewers squads. He began his career with six games at Helena before moving the Arizona League Brewers for seven games. Newton played collegiately at Santa Clara University and led the West Coast Conference with 14 homers as a senior in 2006. He was one of only two members of the Broncos to play in all 54 games that season. The Brewers chose Newton in the 33rd round of the 2006 MLB Draft. Mike Goetz, Brad Miller, and J.T. King are all former members of the Milwaukee organization that are currently on the Beach Bums roster.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 54 36 .600 - 33-16 21-20 W7 Memphis 48 40 .545 5.0 23-20 25-20 W3 Omaha 41 45 .477 11.0 17-22 24-23 L5 Nashville 34 54 .386 19.0 17-23 17-31 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 11 6 .647 - 6-4 5-2 L2 Carolina 9 8 .529 2.0 4-3 5-5 W1 Huntsville 9 8 .529 2.0 4-3 5-5 W2 Chattanooga 8 9 .471 3.0 5-5 3-4 W1 West Tenn 6 11 .353 5.0 1-6 5-5 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 8 6 .571 - 6-2 2-4 L3 Vero Beach 7 6 .538 0.5 2-3 5-3 L1 Daytona 7 7 .500 1.0 4-1 3-6 L1 Jupiter 6 6 .500 1.0 1-2 5-4 W1 Palm Beach 6 7 .462 1.5 5-5 1-2 L1 Brevard County 6 8 .429 2.0 2-4 4-4 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 10 5 .667 - 6-2 4-3 L1 Hagerstown 9 6 .600 1.0 3-4 6-2 W1 Lakewood 9 7 .563 1.5 4-2 5-5 L1 Lake County 7 8 .467 3.0 2-5 5-3 L1 Delmarva 6 9 .400 4.0 1-5 5-4 L1 Greensboro 6 9 .400 4.0 2-6 4-3 W1 Hickory 6 10 .375 4.5 3-5 3-5 W1 Lexington 4 12 .250 6.5 2-8 2-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 12 6 .667 - 4-0 8-6 W5 Great Falls 11 7 .611 1.0 6-4 5-3 W1 Helena 9 9 .500 3.0 5-6 4-3 L1 Missoula 4 14 .222 8.0 1-10 3-4 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 7 3 .700 - 3-2 4-1 W2 AZL Giants 7 4 .636 0.5 5-1 2-3 W2 AZL Rangers 7 4 .636 0.5 3-2 4-2 L1 AZL Royals 7 4 .636 0.5 6-0 1-4 W4 AZL Padres 5 5 .500 2.0 4-1 1-4 L2 AZL Cubs 5 6 .455 2.5 5-1 0-5 W1 AZL Mariners 5 6 .455 2.5 3-2 2-4 W1 AZL Athletics 4 7 .364 3.5 2-3 2-4 L3 AZL Brewers 1 9 .100 6.0 1-4 0-5 L6

Link while active, text follows: Mustangs trample Brewers By MIKE SCHERTING - Billings Gazette Tony Brown's video mug on the Dehler Park scoreboard was a perfect target. For himself. Brown launched a 400-foot drive to right field, hitting the image of himself square on the chin, propelling the Billings Mustangs to an 11-3 win over the Helena Brewers Friday afternoon. The win was the Mustangs' fourth straight to open the new ballpark and fifth overall, but the buzz from the 3,143 Fourth of July fans came when Brown connected off Helena starter Michael Bowman. Brown's homer, his fourth of the season, knocked a protective panel off the scoreboard and gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. "When I hit it, I knew it was gone," Brown said. "But I didn't really get to look at it, because my manager would kill me if I started trotting it too early." Many believe Dehler Park will be a pitcher's park, but it didn't prove to be Friday. Dehler - or rather the game's pitchers - yielded five home runs, including two from Helena's Chris Dennis, whose sixth and seventh home runs gave him the lead in the Pioneer League. Andrew Means and David Sappelt also connected for the Mustangs, who knocked 17 hits, their second-highest total of the season. Neftali Soto and Sappelt had three hits, while Means, Alex Buchholz, Brown, Byron Wiley and Miguel Rojas all finished with two. Bowman (1-1), who entered the game tied for the league lead in ERA at 1.80 with the Mustangs' Leonardo Astorga, gave up nine hits and six runs in four innings. "We played well all the way around," Mustangs manager Julio Garcia said. "(Bowman) is one of the better pitchers I've seen, and we were able to get something going early and get hot and get him out of the game." Mustangs starter Lance Janke (1-0) picked up his first win with a three-hit effort and left with an 8-1 lead after five innings. Following a lead-off single to Cutter Dykstra to start the game, Janke retired 11 of the next 12 Brewers hitters before Dennis led off the fifth with his first homer. "It was really hot and tough conditions, but my arm felt alive and I felt like I was hitting my spots and had good command," said Janke, who struck out five and walked one. "I was just fortunate to get the hitters out." Since losing three in a row in Great Falls and Helena June 21-23, the Mustangs (12-6) have won 8 of 11 and will look tonight to stay perfect at Dehler, which is quickly proving to be friendly digs for the Mustangs after a 14-day road trip to start the season. "The fans are unbelievable, the stadium is really beautiful and this whole town is just a great place to be at," said Brown, who drove in three runs on the day. "It's really fun to play somewhere where it's really great to be at." NOTES: Weather.com listed a first-pitch temperature of 100 degrees. … Friday's attendance pushed the total for the first four games of the first homestand at Dehler to 13,480.

Photo by DAVID GRUBBS / Billings Gazette Staff Mustangs shortstop, Miguel Rojas tosses the ball around Helena's Corey Kemp to record the first out of a double play at second base Friday at Dehler Park. The Mustangs beat the Brewers 11-3. http://www.billingsgazette.net/content/articles/2008/07/05/sports/local/24-mustangs.jpg

These may have been around quite a while, but just noticed them now -- mini video baseball cards from the Tennessean

Link while active, text follows: Sounds stay stuck in cellar with loss to Round Rock Ninth-inning rally comes up short By JOSHUA TAYLOR Tennessean Staff Writer The Sounds have yet to find their way out of the basement of the Pacific Coast League. They continued to cement that position Friday night at Greer Stadium, losing 4-3 to a surging Round Rock team in front of a near-capacity crowd. The Sounds stirred the fans with two runs in the ninth inning, but that was one run too few. "(We're down) 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth, then it's 4-3 with no outs," said Tony Gwynn, whose third single of the night started the late push. The Express have moved from last to second in the Southern Division thanks to a four-game win streak. The Sounds remain 19 games out of first in the Northern Division. Round Rock first baseman J.R. House smashed a third-inning home run over the left field wall to open the scoring. House spent the 2004 season in Nashville (.288, 15 homers, 49 RBIs), where he became one of only two players in Sounds history to hit for the cycle. The Sounds' couldn't end their batting slump at Greer Stadium, being held to three runs on five hits. Nashville's home batting average is .232, second-worst in the PCL. The Sounds have fared much better on the road, hitting .277. Manager Frank Kremblas cited batters' consistent complaints about the glare from Greer Stadium's center field wall. "You can't see here," he said. "When it's sunny, it's hard as heck to see the ball." Starting right-hander Chris Narveson gave up two earned runs in six innings to take the loss. Fielding errors, a wild pitch and lack of offense dropped Narveson to 0-7 in his past 10 starts. "It's consistency," Narveson said. "If we can eliminate some of the errors and mental mistakes then I think we can turn it around. It's a matter of figuring out what we need to do to win." Stealing Thunder: Pinch-hitter Mel Stocker stole second and third on back-to-back pitches before scoring Nashville's first run. Stocker is tied for sixth in the league with 16 stolen bases. Hernan Iribarren is fourth with 17. The Sounds lead the PCL in stolen bases with 102. "We've got a couple of guys that can run pretty good," Kremblas said. "When you're not swinging the bats well, you've got to put your runners in scoring position somehow." Home debut: Carlos Corporan and Joe Bateman made their first appearances at Greer Stadium, having been called up from Double-A Huntsville late last month. Corporan is hitless in nine plate appearances, and Bateman has posted a 1.80 ERA through five innings of relief work. Extra pair of eyes: A PCL evaluation of umpires around the league scheduled for July means games Friday and tonight were to be officiated by four-man teams, instead of the usual three. Friday night lights: Despite the loss, the Sounds are 3-2 on Fridays at Greer Stadium -their best mark on a given day. They are 3-3 on Saturdays at home. Packed house: There were 9,525 fans in attendance for the game and fireworks display, making it the fourth-biggest crowd of the season. Transactions: J.R. Hopf was sent to Double-A Huntsville. What they said: "We've been out-executed so far this year. That's the problem. Obviously guys aren't performing as well as they'd like to, but there's always the second half of the season." - Kremblas

Link while active, text follows: Victory by fireworks Gillespie's homer in 10th pleases crowd of 9,444 By JOHN FERRY Huntsville Times Sports Staff, john.ferry@htimes.com Friday's holiday marked not only the return of the Huntsville Stars to Joe Davis Stadium but also provided a chance for the team to improve on a mediocre record in extra-inning games. That record this season was just 1-6, including five straight defeats at home. The streak was broken as outfielder Cole Gillespie homered to lead off the 10th inning, giving the Stars a 2-1 victory over the Birmingham Barons in front of 9,444 fans. The win moved Huntsville to within two games of Tennessee in the second-half standings of the Southern League North. "It was a fastball, up and over the plate," Gillespie said of his 12th homer. "I tried to put a good swing on it. I was fortunate to get a good piece of it." Gillespie sent the pitch from Fernando Hernandez over the fence in deep right-center, ending a contest which saw both teams have chances to win it. "It was just a great game all the way around," Stars manager Don Money said. "On both sides, really. The Barons have a good club." Money added it came down to making the plays and getting a big hit at the right time. Barons outfielder Stefan Gartrell played a key role for both teams. He homered to right center in the fourth inning for the first run of the game, while his catch and then perfect throw to third base in the second inning resulted in a double play. In the fifth, Gartrell helped the Stars, dropping a foul ball that gave Matt LaPorta an extra chance at the plate. LaPorta converted by sending a single to center and later scoring an unearned run on a passed ball. J.R. Hopf had doubled to right to send LaPorta to third, just before the passed ball. The Stars left runners on first and third in the seventh while the Barons stranded a runner at third in the eighth, at second in the ninth and at first and third in the 10th. Money also liked his pitching. Left-hander Troy Cate, starting his second game for Huntsville, pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and one run. David Johnson gave two hits in two innings of relief and winning pitcher Juan Sandoval (2-3) got the final out in the 10th. Gillespie and Hopf led the seven-hit attack of the Stars with two hits each. Justin Cassel pitched seven strong innings in starting for the Barons. He struck out five, gave six hits and Huntsville got credit for the unearned run. The four-game series and homestand continues tonight at 7:05. Mike Jones is scheduled to start for the Stars against Birmingham's Dewon Day. Stars notes: Huntsville third-baseman Mat Gamel had his 14-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0-for-4. Catcher Martin Maldonado was in the Stars lineup Friday after being acquired from Single-A Brevard. He was a .266 batter there. Huntsville also has catcher/infielder Hopf on the roster now. He came down from Triple-A Nashville where he was a .324 batter. The Stars lost catcher Carlos Corporan to Nashville. Corporan was a .265 batter for the Stars and had three homers and 15 RBIs. Infielder Guilder Rodriguez has been placed on the disabled list due to a pulled hamstring. Rodriguez has a .227 average.