Jim Goulart

Final: Nashville 5, Memphis (Cardinals) 4, ten innings Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Hernan Iribarren photo, text follows -- MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds scored a pair of runs in the top of the tenth inning and hung on to record a 5-4 victory over the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds on Monday evening at AutoZone Park in the opener of a four-game series. With the win, Nashville (33-51) snapped a two-game skid and brought an end to the Redbirds' season-best seven-game winning streak. Tony Gwynn opened the tenth with a walk from Redbirds reliever Mark Worrell then was sacrificed to second. Three batters later, Adam Heether put the Sounds in front with an RBI infield single that scored Gwynn. Worrell misfired on a pickoff attempt at first to allow a second run to score later in the frame. The Redbirds didn't go down without a fight in the bottom of the inning. Bryan Anderson led off with a double to left off Zach Jackson that tipped off the end of the glove of a diving Brendan Katin. After Jarrett Hoffpauir singled to put runners on the corners, Brian Barden followed with a single to left that brought home Anderson to make it a one-run game and sent Jackson to the showers without having retired a batter. Joe Bateman took over on the hill for Nashville and induced a fly ball to center from Colby Rasmus, which allowed Hoffpauir to move to third with only one out. The right-hander bore down and retired the next two hitters on flyouts to left, the second of which off the bat of Joe Mather falling into Katin's glove at the base of the left field wall to end the contest. Bateman notched his first career Triple-A save with the effort. The extra-inning contest was the seventh of the year for the Sounds, who led the majority of the evening before Memphis scored a two-out run against Luis Pena while down to its final strike in the bottom of the ninth. Nashville took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. After Gwynn reached second on a throwing error by Memphis shortstop Brian Barden, Sounds rightfielder Laynce Nix extended the club's longest active hitting streak to seven with an infield single to put runners on the corners. Brad Nelson followed with an RBI groundout to third. The Redbirds answered with an unearned run of their own in the home half of the frame when Rasmus singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino, then scored on a Mather sacrifice fly. Sounds starter Richie Gardner helped his own cause in the second and gave the visitors a 2-1 lead when his two-out RBI single plated Chris Woodward, who had preceded the hurler with his first triple of the year. Gardner, who left in line for a win before a late blown save, allowed just one unearned run on five hits over his five innings of work to lower his ERA to 3.98 on the year. Derrick Turnbow followed Gardner with a scoreless inning of work that included a pair of strikeouts. The Sounds scratched across an insurance run in the seventh to stretch the lead to 3-1. Woodward greeted Memphis reliever Ron Flores with a ground-rule double to right and later scored on a one-out RBI single off the bat of Hernan Iribarren (3-for-5). Memphis pulled back within a run in the bottom of the seventh against rehabbing Sounds reliever Randy Choate. After the first batter was retired, the southpaw issued consecutive walks to Rasmus and Mather before pinch-hitter Josh Phelps ripped an RBI single to left to make it a 3-2 contest. The score was the first earned run permitted by Choate in 8 1/3 innings over his five rehab outings with Nashville. Tim Dillard came on to work a scoreless eighth from the hill for the Sounds before turning things over to Pena, who suffered just his second blown save of the season. After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, Pena allowed a Phelps single then walked David Freese on four pitches before ex-Sound Mark Johnson delivered a game-tying RBI single back up the middle on a 1-2 offering to knot the score at 3-3. Pena (1-0) backed into the victory for the Sounds after giving up the game-tying run in his lone frame of work. AUDIO: Final Out Of The Game Eventful... Worrell (1-2) absorbed the loss after allowing the two tenth-inning scores for Memphis. The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. meeting on Tuesday in the Bluff City. Left-hander Sam Narron (4-3, 4.66) will make the start for the Sounds to face Memphis southpaw Jaime Garcia (4-3, 4.10). Nashville Box Score Definitely a busy box score and game log, please chew your food and digest carefully; by the way, J.R. Hopf is still with the Sounds, he pinch-hit here... Nashville Game Log

From the Huntsville Game last night -- "Seeds Can Fly, Baby!" By the way, the AA Cubs had only one All-Star named, LHP Donnie Veal, who the Stars have consistently hit hard the last couple of seasons... Tennessee manager Buddy Bailey got the biggest ovation from 3,828 in attendance after he was ejected for the first time this season by first base umpire Booter West in the fifth inning. Bailey disagreed with West's call and flung his helmet in disgust after being tossed. The manager inadvertently spit a sunflower seed that apparently struck West near the eye during another heated verbal exchange. Hitting coach Barbaro Garbey replaced Bailey. Bailey will be fined by the league and could possibly be suspended. "There are three things in life you don't talk about: They are your boss, ex-wives and umpires," Bailey said.

Link while active, text follows: Power's Wilson gets a break Power wins 10-6 by Christopher Wade For the Charleston Daily Mail West Virginia Power first baseman Steffan Wilson got to make a surprise about-face during the sixth inning of the team's home game against Greensboro at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va. on Monday evening. After hitting what seemed to be a routine pop up only a few feet away in foul territory, Wilson started heading back to the Power dugout. However, Greensboro first baseman Tyler Belcher had other ideas. Belcher dropped the routine play, allowing Wilson a return to the plate and a second chance. Wilson took full advantage of the Grasshopper miscue, lacing a one-out triple to tie the score at 6-6. From there, West Virginia made Greensboro pay in a big way. What started out as a three-run deficit turned into a seven-run inning and West Virginia went on to earn a 10-6 victory over Greensboro on a chilly evening at Appalachian Power Park. "It felt good to get a break like that, especially in that situation, still down two," Wilson said. "That was our inning and everyone knew it. "Sometimes, you catch a break, and sometimes, the other team catches a break like that. It was what we needed right there. I'll take it." The decisive seven-run inning brought 12 Power batters to the plate and included five hits, two Greensboro errors to go along with three different pitchers, three walks and three wild pitches. It sparked a huge comeback that saw the Power respond to two separate three-run deficits at 3-0 and 6-3. The Grasshoppers scored three runs in the second, but the Power tied the score in the fifth on a three-run homer by catcher Uly Snijders. The Grasshoppers quickly responded with three runs of their own in the sixth to take what seemed to be another comfortable lead before the Power's big seven-run bottom half. "That was huge," Wilson said of Snijders' home run. "That started the game over. It's tough to give up three the next inning, but at the same time, we knew how close a three-run game was. "We knew we were slow starting out of the gates and that three runs weren't going to win this game. And to be honest, we also knew six runs weren't going to win this game, either." With the victory, the Power (8-4 in the second half and 40-41 overall) has won four consecutive games and moves a half game behind first-place Hagerstown. Wilson said the team's confidence already was high and coming back from two separate three-run deficits against Greensboro (5-7, 43-39) on Monday can only add to it. "We have been hitting well and our confidence as a team is very high," Wilson said. "I have confidence in everyone in the lineup because everyone is pulling their weight." Three Power players had two hits, including Wilson, Snijders and left fielder Eric Fryer, who now has nine multiple-hit games in his last 13 games. Greensboro starting pitcher Brett Durand had stifled the Power's offense through the first four innings, only allowing one hit before West Virginia erupted for 10 runs the next two innings. "We knew eventually we would hit him," Wilson said. "They threw him back out there the last inning and we were ready for him. It worked out well for us."

West Virginia Pre-Game Audio Interview with Pitching Coach John Curtis Click to the WSWW archive of June 30th (you will need to change the month by choosing "Select Month"), then browse to the 31:00 minute mark; nice detailed conversation... EDIT: Just to re-inforce, this is an all-encompassing eight-minute interview on the Power staff, a must-listen for diehards; Evan Frederickson will be taking Mike Ramlow's spot in the rotation, Amaury Rivas is going to be getting some time off so that he doesn't exceed innings limits coming off last year's injury; much, much more available through the chat...

Final: West Virginia 10, Greensboro (Marlins) 6 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER USE SEVEN-RUN SIXTH TO BEAT GREENSBORO The West Virginia Power erased a pair of three-run deficits on Monday night at Appalachian Power Park and scored seven runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Greensboro Grasshoppers 10-6. The Grasshoppers took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Steffan Wilson's throwing error allowed Matt Dominguez to score the first run before Justin Jacobs knocked in Torre Langley on a base hit and Ozzie Martinez drove in Tyler Belcher on a sacrifice fly. Brett Durand kept the Power off the board through the first four and a third before Uly Snijders clubbed a three-run bomb that followed back-to-back one-out singles from Wilson and Eric Fryer to tie the game in the fifth. Greensboro answered quickly with a three-run sixth inning to take the lead again. Bryan Petersen hit a solo home run before Langley and Martinez singled in the last two runs. In the sixth, the Power sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on five hits. It all began on Lee Haydel's bunt single. Haydel moved to third on Eric Farris's double and Haydel scored on Zelous Wheeler's groundout. Wilson tripled in two runs to tie the game and he scored the go-ahead run on Fryer's base hit. Fryer scored on Kevin Gunter's balk, Snijders scored on Eric Basurto's errant throw and Scott Houin scored the final run on Martinez's fielding error at short. Pedro Lambertus (1-2) allowed a run on three hits over two and a third to earn the victory. Durand (7-4) retired 12 out of the first 13 batters he faced, but allowed seven runs on eight hits over five and a third and was tagged with the loss. Mike Ramlow allowed just three earned runs on five hits over five and two thirds. The Power improved to 40-41 on the year and 8-4 in the second half with the win, while the Grasshoppers fell to 43-39 on the year and 5-7 in the second half with the loss. Six Power players hit safely and the 5-6-7 batters combined to go 6-for-10 and scored six runs. Wilson, Fryer and Snijders paced the Power with two hits apiece. The Power have run off four victories in a row and are only one game below .500 for the first time since April 7th. The Power will finish the two game series against Greensboro Tuesday night. Right hander Amaury Rivas (6-3, 3.70) will get the start for the Power and the Grasshoppers will counter with left hander Jay Voss (2-4, 5.14). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). *** Link while active, text follows: Power keeps rolling along Big inning keys 10-6 win over Greensboro By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer For the Power, scoring opportunities rarely presented themselves through first four innings. But once those opportunities arose, the Power pounced, delivering clutch hits in the manner of a team that seems poised for a productive second half. Faced with a three-run deficit in the fifth inning, the Power tied it on Uly Snijders' three-run homer. And faced with another three-run deficit in the sixth, the home team rallied for seven runs, highlighted by Steffan Wilson's two-run triple, en route to a 10-6 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers Monday night at Appalachian Power Park. Paid attendance was 1,324. It was the Power's fourth straight victory, giving it an 8-4 second-half record and, equally important, maintaining the solid play of a late first-half surge in which the team won five of its final six games before the South Atlantic League All-Star break. Since June 10, the Power is 13-5 and has scored 113 runs. "Our coaches challenged us to keep the momentum rolling in the second half,'' said Wilson, "and I think we've done a pretty good job of doing it. We knew that how we played at the end of the first half would carry over into the second half, and it has.'' Wilson and his teammates, in fact, sensed a big sixth inning, especially after the first two Power hitters - Lee Haydel and Eric Farris - reached base. "That was our inning,'' said Wilson, who needs one semester to complete his degree from Harvard. "Everybody knew it when we got the first two guys on.'' After Haydel's single and Farris' double, Caleb Gindl singled to cut the Greensboro lead to 6-4. Wilson followed with his two-run triple and scored on Eric Fryer's single to left. In addition to the seven runs, the sixth inning offered five hits, three walks, a balk, two errors, a wild pitch, a passed ball and two pitching changes. The victory raises the Power's overall record to 40-41 - after a slow start in which it won just three of its first 15 games. "We're putting ourselves in a position to win every time out now - on the mound and offensively,'' said Wilson. "That's all you do. Sometimes you catch breaks; sometimes the other team catches the breaks.'' BRIEFLY: Because of Monday afternoon's rain, the game started 36 minutes late. ... The Power will face the Grasshoppers at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) and, after an off-day Wednesday, will play host to Hagerstown for a four-game series beginning Thursday. ... Entering Monday's game, the Power was batting .313 and had scored 60 runs in its previous 10 games. ... Greensboro right fielder Mike Stanton, who leads the league with 20 homers, picked up his 100th strikeout, courtesy of Power starter Mike Ramlow, in the third inning. ... The Power's Pedro Lambertus, who relieved Ramlow with two outs in the sixth, earned the victory. West Virginia Box Score Nobody saw Eric Fryer with a near-.900 OPS at this point of the season back in March, it's almost too bad it's coming while in left field and not behind the plate; that was a big home run from Uly Snijders in the 5th; Rob Bryson strikes out the side to end it -- 69 K's in 52 innings, peripherals are fantastic... West Virginia Game Log Charleston Gazette Photo by Kenny Kemp Greensboro first baseman Tyler Belcher watches the ball sail by while West Virginia's Uly Snijders reaches first base safely during Monday's game at Appalachian Power Park. The Power prevailed 10-6. http://www.wvgazette.com/images/thumbs275/safe1_G0806303el8jk.jpg

Nashville and West Virginia with nice wins, updates by 8:30 AM Central or earlier. Brad (pogokat) will be assisting me this week, so we can avoid some of the recent early morning delays, thanks.

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview with 19-year-old Outfielder Chris Dennis Click on the KCAP archive of June 30th (you have to go to the proper month via "Select Date"), then browse to the 03:45 minute mark; interesting chat about his Canadian National Team experience as well... Via that same link, you can listen to Steve Wendt's final call of the no-hitter at the 02:31:00 minute mark, understandably a little more subdued.

Link while active, text follows: Huntsville's 10 reps top North team All-Star Game set for July 14 in Zebulon, N.C. By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times David Welch was snoozing in an East Tennessee hotel room Monday afternoon when a phone call woke him up to good news. He had made his first all-star team as a professional. "I'm absolutely over the moon right now," said Welch, who is one of 10 Huntsville Stars on the Southern League North Division all-star team. "I'm extremely excited. It's been a big goal of mine." The Southern League South All-Stars will be announced today. The game is scheduled for July 14 at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Before Monday night's start, Welch boasted an 8-1 record with a 3.62 earned run average and also had thrown a seven-inning no-hitter this year. He joined the recently-promoted Steve Hammond as the Stars' starting pitchers on the team. Relievers Joe Bateman and Patrick Ryan, third baseman Mat Gamel, shortstop Alcides Escobar, catcher Angel Salome, first baseman Chris Errecart, center fielder Michael Brantley and right fielder Matt LaPorta also made the squad. "It's four-fifths of our infield and two-thirds of our outfield, plus four pitchers," Stars manager Don Money said. "They all deserve it, too." Hammond and Bateman won't participate because of their promotion to Triple-A Nashville. LaPorta and Gamel won't play because they will represent the United States team in the Futures Game as part of the major league All-Star festivities at Yankee Stadium. Escobar was a Futures invitee last year. Though Gamel and LaPorta have known about the Futures Game invitations for a while, LaPorta is still honored to be an all-star and to play in the most hallowed baseball venue during its final year. "This will obviously be my only chance I'll ever get to play in Yankee Stadium," LaPorta said. "My dad and uncle are coming out, and they're excited. "It's a tremendous honor and a huge deal for me because there are so many minor leaguers deserving of it." There is also a possibility that the Futures Game will be an audition of sorts for the Olympics, Money said. The U.S. team will be announced in mid-July, and LaPorta said he'd be lying if he said he hasn't thought about that possibility. "I definitely have thought about it, and that would be such a blessing to play for my country," he said. "But, at the same time, it's out of my hands." One thing still in Huntsville's control is a chance to make the Southern League playoffs by winning the division's second-half title. To a man, the all-stars noted how disappointed they were to have lost out to West Tenn on the first-half crown. "It just goes to show how good this team is that we had 10 all-stars," said Ryan, who is one of five first-time all-stars along with Brantley, Hammond, Welch and LaPorta. "It's a shame we didn't win the first half, but hopefully, we'll all stay together and have another chance." Corporan promoted: One Stars catcher became an all-star Monday, but the other one got perhaps better news. Huntsville reserve catcher Carlos Corporan was promoted to Triple-A Nashville, after hitting .265 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 34 games. Regarded as an exceptional defensive player, he will likely be a reserve with the Sounds. "Good for Corporan," Money said. "He's done a fine job." Replacing Corporan on the Stars roster is 21-year-old Martin Maldonado, who was hitting .266 with nine RBIs in Brevard County. Maldonado, according to Money, is also a "good throw-and-catch guy."

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio with LHP Troy Cate Click on the WUMP archive of June 30th (you have to click on the proper month via "Select Date"), then browse to the 08:15 minute mark; very high praise for the defensive skills of Carlos Corporan...

Final: Huntsville 7, Tennessee (Cubs) 3 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Stars Success Over Smokies Continues Gamel, Gillespie Drive Stars to Victory By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Mat Gamel and Cole Gillespie each collected three hits and drove in a pair of runs to power Huntsville to a 7-3 win over Tennessee Monday night in the opener of a four-game set at Smokies Park. The Stars won their second straight game to improve to 7-6 in the second half and 48-35 overall, while the Smokies dropped to 9-4 in the second half and saw their lead in the North Division trimmed to two games. The Stars have won all six meetings between the teams and have outscored the Smokies 44-17 in so doing. Freddy Parejo singled with one out in the third, moved to second base on an Alcides Escobar single and scored the game's first run on a double by Gamel, who knocked in his league-high 71st run. Angel Salome then chopped a ground ball to third baseman Josh Lansford, who went back, dived and tagged out Escobar trying to get back to the bag for the second out before Matt LaPorta fanned to end the frame. David Welch singled in a run in the fourth before Parejo was hit by a pitch to load the bases but the Stars could not cash in, as Escobar bounced into a force out at the plate and Gamel fouled out to third. Tennessee pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning on a Mark Reed ground out that plated Matt Craig, who had opened the inning with a walk. Mike Bell's two-out single in the fifth scored Gillespie, who had doubled with two outs, to push the lead to 3-1. Smokies' starter James Russell was removed after five frames, giving up three runs on nine hits, walking one, hitting two and fanning three. Mark Holliman took over in the sixth and yielded a run-producing hit by Gamel that extended the visitors lead to 4-1 and sent Escobar to third before LaPorta grounded into an inning-ending double play. Welch was taken out after four innings and 86 pitches, having allowed three hits, walking four and striking out two. David Johnson worked two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three to improve to 3-2 with his first win since April 14 at home over the Lookouts. Gillespie's two-out, two-run double of Ed Campusano in the eighth pushed the Stars lead to 6-1 and gave him 52 RBI on the season, the fifth Stars' batter to drive in more than 50. Huntsville pounded out 16 hits but stranded 15 runners, including at least one in every inning. Jake Fox opened the home eighth with a single, moved to third on a Craig double and scored when Escobar couldn't come up with a Doug Deeds ground ball. Parejo overran the ball in centerfield to allow Craig to score to cut the lead to 6-3. Jason Shiell retired the next two hitters before being replaced by Juan Sandoval, who walked pinch-hitter Kyle Reynolds before retiring Matt Camp on a come-backer to end the inning. Sandoval then retired the side in order in the ninth to record his ninth save and extend his scoreless innings streak to 13 1/3 over his last nine outings. The series continues Tuesday night with southpaw Brae Wright making the start against Smokies' right-hander Mitch Atkins. 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 Contributions up-and-down the lineup, nothing new there; the four walks drove up a pitch count that led to David Welch's shortest outing in ages; if the bullpen continues to turn things around, as they have as of late, this team should be very competitive for a second half playoff run... Huntsville Game Log

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 1, Helena 0 Link while active, text follows: Osprey no-hit Brewers By TOM STUBER - Helena Independent Record The Missoula Osprey used three pitchers to combine for a no-hitter and a 1-0 win over the Helena Brewers before 904 fans at Kindrick Legion Field Monday night. The Brewers (6-8) went from not being able to get anyone out in the last two innings of Sunday's 10-8 loss to not being able to get a hit 24 hours later. "You just have to tip your cap to them and pick up and go tomorrow," Helena catcher Corey Kemp said of the Osprey. "Their first pitcher threw hard and kept the ball down. The second guy was slower and changed speeds and had us out front. Then the third one was a good closer in college and had a good out pitch." Missoula (4-10) got the only run it would need in the first inning when lead off batter Ollie Linton singled, went to second on a walk and took third on a passed ball. He was driven in by a Ryne White double. Missoula pitchers Miles Reagan, middle reliever Jesse Orosco and closer Bryan Shaw combined to throw the no-hitter. Reagan went four innings and walked two batters, Orosco pitched three innings and saw just one runner reach on a passed ball after a third strike and Shaw gave up just one walk over the final two innings. The three combined for six strikeouts and didn't allow any Brewers past second base. Helena had several hard hit balls that went right at Osprey's fielders, with their best chance at a hit coming in the eighth with one out when pitcher-turned-batter Josh Romanski hit a slow roller to first that Ryne White was able to field and flip to Shaw covering first in a bang-bang fashion. "We'll be fine," Helena manager Rene Gonzales said. "We hit the ball hard. No hits or two-three hits doesn't really make any difference. All that matters is you win." Helena had some pretty decent pitching of its own as starter Brandon Ritchie went 5 2/3 and allowed just one run pitching out tough spots in the first and third. Nestor Corredor allowed just one hit in 2 1/3, while Lucas Leutge struck out two in his only inning of work. "Our pitchers were outstanding," Gonzales said. It didn't help that the Brewers have been banged up of late. "We're a little short-handed," Gonzales added. "We have a pitcher (Romanski) at designated hitter, so that kind of tells you where we're at. It also shows that we're gamers." The two teams will continue to face each other tonight, but the venue will change to Missoula. *** MiLB.com which includes the Missoula broadcast final call Missoula trio combines to no-hit Helena By Steve Conley / Special to MLB.com Miles Reagan, Jesse Orosco and Bryan Shaw just began their professional careers. It took them two weeks to make history together. The trio combined on the third no-hitter in Missoula Osprey history Monday, a 1-0 win over the Helena Brewers at Kindrick Field. Reagan threw the first four frames and Orosco tossed three perfect innings before Shaw pitched the final two innings for his first save. When it was over, the young hurlers were a little more than excited. "This is one of the biggest things to ever happen to me," said Reagan, a seventh-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks out of El Capitan High School (Calif.) in the 2008 Draft. "It feels great," added Orosco (1-0), son of former Major Leaguer Jesse Orosco. "It's the best game I've ever pitched in and my first pro game with a shutout." Shaw was equally as excited, but claimed he was unaware of the feat as it was taking place. "It's great," the 20-year-old right-hander said. "The last time we were here we had a shutout, but I gave up a home run in the ninth inning. I honestly didn't even realize it was a no-hitter until the game ended and I looked at the scoreboard." Orosco was fully aware of the no-hit bid, however, and had some words of encouragement for Shaw when he passed him in the dugout. "I saw it early on and thought, 'Wow, this is awesome.' I wasn't paying attention to it when I came into the game, but after the seventh when they still had no hits I just said to Bryan, 'Hey, keep it going.'" Shaw did just that and the trio joined Osbek Castillo and Hector Ambriz -- who combined to no-hit Casper on Aug. 20, 2006 -- as the only pitchers in Missoula history to have pitched in nine-inning no-hitters. Gabriel Mercedes and Roberto Medina hurled 7 1/3 hitless innings against Billings on July 27, 2001 before the game was called by rain. "I looked at Miles in the dugout and thought, 'That didn't just happen.' We got our butts kicked a few times earlier this season, but this was amazing," said Orosco, who said his dad, who recorded the final out of the New York Mets 1986 World Series Championship, was intently listening to the game. "I talked to him briefly. He just said, 'Wow' and he was listening to every pitch. He said it was awesome." Pitching coach Steve Merriman will have to make good on a deal he made with his pitchers, which was to take them out to dinner and allow them to take batting practice after a shutout. "It'll be a fun bus ride home, and we'll get ourselves a steak dinner," Reagan said. "The three of us are all from California and we live in the same house, so this was great." Winston Linton, who went 2-for-4, singled and scored on Ryne White's double in the first for the Osprey (4-10). Brewers starter Brandon Ritchie (0-1) allowed one run on six hits while striking out four and walking two over 5 2/3 innings for the Brewers (6-8). Helena Box Score Lefty Lucas Luetge out of Rice University (his middle initial is also "L") with his pro debut on the mound; the Nestor Corredor conversion to pitcher seems to be working; nice job, starter Brandon Ritchie, another southpaw; not really much to add, is there? Helena Game Log

Final: Arizona Royals 2, Arizona Brewers 1 Arizona Box Score The Brewers will take pitching lines like the ones you see here from Damon Krestalude, Adrian Rosario, and Brandon Rapoza, any day of the week; SS Carlos George is finding the going a lot easier at the plate (1.033 OPS) than on the sun-baked infield (seven errors) in his five games thus far; Shawn Zarraga is getting on base at a .455 clip despite being 3-for-14 (.214); two of the four Brewer hits went to Brandon Drespling, the one "older" player on the squad, at 23; Brewers K'd 15 times -- this group has been offensively challenged... Arizona Game Log A-Crew stranded nine including several in scoring position, as they drew five walks and a HBP...

Florida State League Pitcher of the Week Jeremy Jeffress, Brevard County 1-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 17 SO After allowing six runs in 4 1/3 innings on June 11, Jeffress did not lose a game, picking up a win and a no-decision. Tuesday, against Dunedin, he pitched a seven-inning shutout, allowing three hits while striking out eight and walking two. Dunedin's starter, Edward Rodriguez, performed well also (6 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 SO), but Jeffress was too dominant. On Sunday, the 6-foot, 197-pounder tossed six innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out nine Fort Myers batters.

Capellan just signed a minor league deal with the Royals (no appearances as of yet). Kansas City released reliever Roberto Giron, a former Brewer farmhand.

Baseball America indicates that the Brewers have formally placed Edgar Trejo on the 60-day DL with the knee injury he suffered in the rundown play in Helena. LHP Jose Romero, who saw time in West Virginia last season, but is yet to pitch this season, is on Helena's disabled list (7-day). Also -- Placed on restricted list: RHP Francisco Rivero, LHP Luis Ramirez, OF Ryan Jensen, OF Nelson Montes Rivero and Montes have yet to make their pro debuts; Ramirez pitched in West Virginia last season; Jensen in Arizona. Their issues could be anything, including visa related (Jensen is from Canada). We're not necessarily going to pursue the reasons behind the placements at this time with the Brewers. We believe the only players in the "land of the lost" are catchers D.J. Neyens and Matt Czimskey, who didn't make full-season squads this April. They are probably no longer with the Brewers, but we'll work on confirming that. If you're aware of any others unaccounted for, please let us know. Thanks.

To make room for LHP Evan Frederickson at West Virginia, RHP Nick Tyson has been transferred to Helena.

I was the staff's biggest proponent of Nieves' this go-round, it just wasn't enough to sneak him into P50 stratosphere. But I'm resorting to arm-twisting next time.

A mega-update and review from David Weiser at www.starsboxscore.com Consistency. If a team expects to finish on top, winning 3 of 5 in every series will most likely not be good enough. A team has to have at least two good streaks to maintain a good hold on first place all the way to the end....... The Stars haven't won more than two in a row since mid-May when they swept a five-game series from the Tennessee Smokies, who then were set up in the basement of the Southern League........ Now, the Smokies are on top and no doubt, awaiting the Stars arrival Monday for a rare four-game series. Where consistency has been noticeably absent has been in the bullpen........ Since May 15, when the Stars faced the Mudcats at Joe Davis Stadium for the first of a five-game series, the bullpen has gone 4-14 with a 5.01 ERA, 10 saves and 11 blown saves....... In one-run games, the Stars are a record 2-7 in June and a combined 5-14 for May and June....... Patrick Ryan, who has blown five saves since May 15 (more than any other reliever in that period), lost in relief for the 4th time this month -- the first reliever since Matt Grott in 1991 to do that......... In 12 games since May 15 where the Stars had a lead after three innings, the Stars are 8-4. It drops to 5-5 in the 10 games in which they are tied after three, excepting for scoreless contests....... In 16 games since May 15 where the Stars led after 6, they are 12-4. In 7 games where they are tied after six, the Stars are 3-4........ Now let's look at games in which the Stars have a lead after eight innings. There are 21 such games, with the Stars winning 14 and losing 7....... You can call it a winning record, but I see 7 games that the Stars were in, that were lost in the 9th or beyond. Three games were lost in the final at-bat..... Their extra-inning record is 1-6, which so far stands as their worst ever in 23 seasons. The Huntsville Stars made several changes to their pitching lineup, June 26, although not as a consequence to that problem........ Rather, it cost us our steadiest reliever to date -- Joe Bateman (2-1, 2.47 in 24 games, 3.04 since May 15)....... Joe Bateman's promotion to Nashville (his first to Triple-A after six seasons in the Giants' organization) and Derek Miller and Robert Hinton going on the disabled list gives us three new pitchers, two of which should be familiar to Stars fans........ Nashville sent down pitchers Steve Bray and Nic Ungs. The Stars also picked up left-hander Troy Cate, who was released by the Oakland A's, May 12. He signed a free agent contract with the Brewers, June 24, plucked from the independent Golden League's Orange County Flyers. Cate was 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA with 18 Ks and only one walk in his three starts there....... http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_446452.jpg Cate had a cup of coffee with the St. Louis Cardinals last year and finished with 14 forgettable appearances, even though he had a 3.38 ERA. Bray, a former KC Royals farmhand, had a successful 2006 season for the Stars, going 5-4 with one save and a 2.70 ERA in 29 appearances, all but two of them in relief. At one point in the season, he won three straight games in three straight appearances. He was promoted after a July 4 game against Birmingham and that's the last we saw of him in a Huntsville uniform until Thursday in Carolina....... 63 relief appearances, mostly in middle relief for the Sounds followed the next two seasons, with a record of 7-2 and a 1.54 ERA, but this season, he was 1-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 21 appearances. Ungs, an 11-game winner in 2004, had been on Nashville's DL with a shoulder injury. He has a long history in the minors, going back to 2001. The Iowa native who went to high school in the town that boasts The Field of Dreams, spent three seasons with the Carolina Mudcats (2003-05). In the 2003 Southern League Champsionship series, he forced a Game 5 on the Stars with a 3-hit, 7-1 victory for the Mudcats. He's the author of the only 9-inning no-hitter in Mudcats history (vs. the Diamond Jaxx in 2005)..... He last faced the Stars on May 24, 2005, shutting the Stars out, 8-0........ He signed with the Brewers after seven seasons in the Marlins' organization, last January 14 after going 4-4 with a 5.98 ERA for Class AAA-Albuquerque (PCL) the year before...... More recently, he bombed with the Nashville Sounds, going 1-2 with a 12.86 ERA in four starts. Ungs was chosen to start against his former team in place of Mike Jones, who followed in relief....... Overall, Ungs did a fair job, getting out of a rough first inning giving up just one run despite issuing a leadoff walk to Cameron Maybin, then giving up back-to-back singles to Manuel Mayorson and Chris Coghlan that scored Maybin........ Half of Mayorson's eight hits were doubles when he came to the plate and hit a grounder through the middle that was knocked down by 2nd baseman Mike Bell. Coghlan slapped a hit past 1st baseman Chris Errecart and Bell. The throw came in to Bell, but his throw to get the lead runner was wild and behind the runner allowed Carolina to tie the game, 1-1....... A double steal on a 2-2 pitch and a walk to Gaby Sanchez to load the bases followed. t Ungs, who was on a 75-80 pitch count, went full on a batter for the 3rd time, but struck out Alberto Concepcion on a fast ball for the first out. Andrew Jenkins then bounced a ball toward third, easily allowing Mat Gamel to go home and force Mayorson at the plate...... The bases remained loaded, but Ungs finally got out of the inning on a force out by Brad Davis....... Ungs did not allow another hit until Andrew Jenkins doubled to lead off the 4th. Manuel Mayorson singled with one out in the 5th before Ungs reached his limit, leaving with a 2-1 lead...... That was gone when Mike Jones walked pinch-hitter Grant Psomas with the bases loaded and one out....... It was Jones' first blown save and the 12th by the Stars' bullpen since May 15. Jones was on the mound when the Mudcats took a 3-2 lead in the 7th...... Patrick Ryan was already throwing in the top of the inning as Jones walked leadoff hitter Mayorson on four pitches. Angel Salome threw him out stealing on a 1-1 pitch to Chris Coghlan, but Jones walked him, too....... This time Coghlan was successful with a stolen base........ Coghlan was nearly caught off base on a 1-2 count to Gaby Sanchez, a former college teammate of Ryan Braun and Brendan Katin, but Sanchez gave the Mudcats a 3-2 lead on a line-drive double to left-center past Gillespie. Guilder Rodriguez, who came into the ballgame on a double-switch in the 7th after Mike Jones walked his 5th batter, scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game again, 3-3, in the top of the 8th when Alcides Escobar popped a ball to 2nd baseman Coghlan in foul territory. With the score tied in the bottom of the 8th, and Patrick Ryan (1-4, 5.29 since May 15) on the mound, Carolina took the lead for good...... Kris Harvey lined through a hole on the left side. After reliever Jesus Delgado struck out trying to sacrifice, Maybin slashed a double to right-center, sending Harvey to third, his 4th of the series....... With Mayorson batting, Angel Salome could not stop Ryan's first pitch, a low fast ball, which enabled Harvey to score, giving Carolina a 4-3 lead. Mayorson's fly ball to Gillespie made it 5-3........ Although Gillespie homered to deep left make it a one-run game in the 9th, Carolina closer Chris Mobley sealed the deal, striking out Salome, LaPorta, and Errecart for the victory...... Gillespie's HR ended a 105-AB drought going back to May 26 at Mobile. It came off closer Reid Mahon in the 9th, making it (ok, cue the theremin) a 5-4 game won by Mobile. Interestingly, Errecart and Gillespie have had more value leading off or with the bases empty, than as clutch hitters: [align=center] Bases Empty Leading Off w/RISP RISP and 2 out Chris Errecart .354 .417 .195 .172 Cole Gillespie .280 .338 .224 .255 [/align] Check out who the clutch hitters are. Just click on the standings page. Saturday's game was serviced by only two umpires because crew chief Nick Nolde resigned suddenly following last Thursday's game....... Carolina added veteran minor league pitcher Chris Michalak to the roster, Saturday. Michalak, whose pro career goes back to 1993, pitched for the Stars in 1995-96, when they were affiliated with Oakland ...... He was released by the A's the day before the Stars' 1997 season got underway and since has bounced in and out of 12 7 NL and 5 AL) major league organizations...... He was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA for the Rangers' Class AA-Frisco (Texas) Roughriders, then released on May 19. The Marlins picked him up and now he's back in the Southern League again. John Haggerty joined the umpiring crew, Sunday......... I guess the last time two starting pitchers made their Stars debut in back-to-back games in the middle of a season was back in 2003 when Jeff Housman and Jason Shelley made their impressive debuts in a July 20 double-header vs. the Diamond Jaxx........ While they didn't match Housman's 6 inning, 1-hit 10-0 win or Shelley's 1-0, 10 K performance, Cate, at least, made it in the win column...... Michael Garciaparra made his first start of the season for the Stars at shortstop and wore the golden sombrero. Carolina had Cate, a lefty who works from the stretch behind 1-0 in the 1st....... Manuel Mayorson led off the bottom of the 1st with a two-hop opposite-field single. On a hit-and-run, Chris Coghlan then sent a line drive into right-center sending Mayorson to third....... Gaby Sanchez then lined out to Mat Gamel, who made a leaping catch, but Mayorson scored without a throw on Gamel's one-hop relay to Chris Errecart. The Stars, after failing to take advantage of Gamel's ground-rule double in the 1st, came back -- and they had their hitting shoes on for Cate....... Mat Gamel went 5-for-5, the 14th Huntsville Star in history to have a 5-hit game (Alcides Escobar and Mel Stocker did it last year. Jose Canseco did it twice in 1985)........ Chris Errecart had four hits, including two doubles..... Matt LaPorta singled, doubled and drove in 2 runs to snap out of a 5-game 4-for-18 skid. Gamel scored on a bang-bang ground out by Cole Gillespie in the 3rd to put the Stars in front, 2-1....... With LaPorta on 3rd and one down, Errecart sent a line drive into left-center making it 3-1. Cate and the three relievers who followed, were able to hold the Mudcats back, except for Brian Petersen....... Making his Double-A debut, Petersen doubled to right in the 2nd, singled in two runs to make it a 4-3 game in the 4th, singled with two out off Steve Bray in the 6th, and singled in two more runs in the 8th to make it a 6-5 game...... Fortunately, Juan Sandoval, who ends June with a sparkling 0.60 ERA in 11 appearances, picked up his 8th save, his 3rd of the month, did not have to face Petersen in the 9th. He retired the side -- Maybin (.293 vs. Stars pitching), Mayorson (.395), and Coghlan (.351) -- in order. The Stars have two more series with Carolina -- another one at Five County Stadium later in July and one at the Joe, August 23-27....... Their split with Carolina gives the Stars a 4-7 record against them this year......... Gamel's 5-hit game extends his hitting streak to 10 games and is on a .429 pace. Gamel finished 12-for-25 in this series with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs...... Manny Parra put a stop to the Twins' 10-game win streak, 5-1, with a 7-inning, 2-hitter, Saturday. Mitch Stetter, in relief of David Riske, gave up the Twins' only other hit in the 9th....... Jeremy Jeffress, the Brewers' #1 draft pick in 2007, gave up 3 hits in 6 innings and struck out 9, helping Brevard County to a 10-inning 3-2 victory over Ft. Myers, Sunday....... Evan Frederickson, one of the Brewers' three #1 draft picks this past June, has been promoted from Helena (Pioneer) to West Virginia. He left Helena with a 3.09 ERA after 11 1/3 innings over three starts..... Jonathan Lucroy, the heir apparent behind the plate for the Stars next season, is hitting .317 for Brevard County. The wires for the new sound system at the Joe are being run as I speak. General Manager Buck Rogers says it should be ready by the time the Stars return for the raucous Fourth of July series, so I guess we'll have to wait to really hear how good the sound system is, but speakers will be placed in back of the upper level seats for the first time, as it is in several Southern League parks. [align=center] STARS BULLPEN SINCE MAY 15 W-L-S-BS ERA IP H R ER Omar Aguilar 0-3-3-2 4.38 12 1/3 12 10 6 Joe Bateman 0-0-1-0 3.04 23 2/3 22 9 8 Steve Bray 0-0-0-0 4.91 3 2/3 5 2 2 Donovan Hand 0-0 3.60 5 4 2 2 Robert Hinton 1-3-1-1 7.04 23 24 19 18 David Johnson 0-1-1-0 3.38 10 2/3 9 5 4 Mike Jones 0-0-0-1 8.64 8 1/3 14 8 8 Patrick Ryan 1-4-1-5 5.49 19 2/3 27 18 12 Juan Sandoval 0-2-4-3 3.66 19 2/3 18 8 8 E.J. Shanks 0-0 9.81 3 2/3 6 4 4 Jason Shiell 2-1-0-0 2.53 10 2/3 9 4 3 Josh Wahpepah 1-0 9.64 4 2/3 10 5 5 TOTALS 4-14-11-11 5.00 144 159 94 80 [/align] The gray concrete walls that have divided the upper and lower levels of the stands since Day One in 1985 have been painted a deep blue within the week by the booster club, I'm told. The players rave about it, saying they can pick up the ball a lot better with the walls in the background........ From what I know, the next step will be some murals, possibly starting in October. The White Sox have released Joe Winkelsas....... Winkelsas pitched in 4 games for the Barons last May, going 0-1 with one save and a 10.80 ERA, but two of those games were against West Tennessee, shutting them out over 2 1/3 innings. Winkelsas was 1-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 13 games for the Stars in 2006. After promotions to Nashville, and then Milwaukee that year. He retired (temporarily as it turned out) on July 4 of that year.

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):

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 49 36 .576 - 29-16 20-20 W2 Memphis 45 38 .542 3.0 21-18 24-20 W7 Omaha 41 40 .506 6.0 17-21 24-19 W1 Nashville 32 51 .386 16.0 17-22 15-29 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 9 3 .750 - 4-2 5-1 W1 Carolina 6 6 .500 3.0 3-3 3-3 L1 Huntsville 6 6 .500 3.0 3-3 3-3 W1 Chattanooga 5 7 .417 4.0 3-3 2-4 W1 West Tenn 4 8 .333 5.0 1-5 3-3 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 8 3 .727 - 6-2 2-1 W1 Jupiter 5 4 .556 2.0 1-0 4-4 L2 Vero Beach 6 5 .545 2.0 1-2 5-3 L2 Palm Beach 4 5 .444 3.0 4-4 0-1 L1 Daytona 4 6 .400 3.5 1-1 3-5 L2 Brevard County 3 8 .273 5.0 1-4 2-4 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hagerstown 8 3 .727 - 3-2 5-1 W3 West Virginia 7 4 .636 1.0 3-1 4-3 W3 Delmarva 5 6 .455 3.0 1-3 4-3 L3 Greensboro 5 6 .455 3.0 1-5 4-1 L4 Lakewood 5 6 .455 3.0 4-2 1-4 W2 Hickory 4 7 .364 4.0 1-2 3-5 W1 Lake County 4 7 .364 4.0 2-5 2-2 L2 Lexington 2 9 .182 6.0 1-6 1-3 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 10 3 .769 - 5-3 5-0 W1 Billings 7 6 .538 3.0 0-0 7-6 L1 Helena 6 7 .462 4.0 5-5 1-2 L1 Missoula 3 10 .231 7.0 1-7 2-3 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 4 2 .667 - 2-1 2-1 W2 AZL Padres 4 2 .667 - 3-0 1-2 W1 AZL Giants 4 3 .571 0.5 2-1 2-2 L1 AZL Mariners 4 3 .571 0.5 2-1 2-2 L1 AZL Rangers 4 3 .571 0.5 2-2 2-1 W1 AZL Athletics 3 4 .429 1.5 2-2 1-2 W1 AZL Cubs 3 4 .429 1.5 3-1 0-3 W1 AZL Royals 3 4 .429 1.5 3-0 0-4 L1 AZL Brewers 1 5 .167 3.0 1-2 0-3 L2

Follow Monday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New 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: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_30_nasaaa_mrbaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_30_hunaax_tenaax_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_30_gboafx_wvaafx_1 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_30_misrok_helrok_1 Arizona: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_30_brrrok_royrok_1

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Richie Gardner at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 PM gametime 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 Tennessee (Cubs), 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: Idle West Virginia: LHP Mike Ramlow at home vs. Greensboro (Marlins), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime 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: LHP Brandon Ritchie at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 5:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 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: TBD at the Royals camp in Surprise, 10:30 AM local Mountain Standard Time Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew...

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

Carlos Corporan has been promoted to AAA Nashville from Huntsville. No official word yet, but J.R. Hopf is no longer listed on MiLB.com's Nashville roster, he may be on his way to Helena to help out there.

Huntsville Press Release: HUNTSVILLE LEADS WITH TEN ALL-STARS When the Southern League announced the 2008 SL North All-Star Team, Monday, no other team had more players selected to participate than the Huntsville Stars. Huntsville led the way with ten players named to the squad. Angel Salome, Alcides Escobar, Michael Brantley, Chris Errecart, Joe Bateman, Steve Hammond, Patrick Ryan, David Welch, Mat Gamel, and Matt LaPorta were each selected. The team was decided by a vote of Southern League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers and print media. Of the 10 players selected, four will not be able to participate in the All-Star Game. Bateman and Hammond have been promoted to Triple-A Nashville and Gamel and LaPorta will be at Yankee Stadium playing in the Futures All-Star Game. The 2008 Southern League All-Star Game will be held July 14 at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, North Carolina, the home of the Carolina Mudcats. The Southern League will announce the South Division All-Star team on July 1. Starting lineups for the North Division will be released on July 2, followed by the starting lineups for the South Division on July 3. To purchase tickets, visit www.gomudcats.com. For more information, please visit www.huntsvillestars.com.