Jim Goulart

Huntsville Archived Audio -- Go the WUMP link for June 18th With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd in the first inning with a run in, Matt LaPorta makes the catch in right field while hitting the wall. Go the 7:45 minute mark, LaPorta went to the field remained down on the ground as the broadcast went to break; upon returning from the break at the 10:15 minute mark, LaPorta was walking off the field under his own power holding his lower back and side.

Will be discussed in Link Report for Wednesday -- closing thread...

Final, regularly scheduled game: Brevard County 5, Vero Beach (Rays) 4 Brevard County Box Score Rehabbing Rocco Baldelli took both Jeremy Jeffress and Casey Baron deep, but the 'Tees prevail; solo home runs for Lorenzo Cain and Taylor Green, but it was the bottom of the order that carried the day; Baldelli's home run was the only run Jeffress allowed in his four innings (2 H, 3 BB, 2 K's) -- we're not used to seeing subdued strikeout numbers from Jeremy, so it's hard to say if he was taking a different approach today or whether Devil Rays' batters (and yes it's still "Devil" Rays on this squad) simply managed to make weak contact (six ground outs, three fly outs vs. Jeffress)... Brevard County Game Log When Martin Maldonado allowed a man to reach second base on a passed ball in the 2nd inning, he immediately atoned for the mistake by picking the man off; speaking of Martin, he had two big doubles in run-scoring innings; E.J. Shanks came in on the 6th in this seven-inning game and didn't allowed singles to all three batters he faced; Mike McClendon cleaned up wonderfully for the save...

Final: Oklahoma (Rangers) 13, Nashville 9 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Laynce Nix photo, text follows -- RedHawks 'Cruz' Past Sounds, 13-9 NASHVILLE - Nine runs off 14 hits was not enough to give the Nashville Sounds a victory as they gave up six home runs to the Oklahoma RedHawks and lost 13-9 on Wednesday afternoon at Greer Stadium. Every Sounds starter notched at least one hit and the team recorded a season-high six doubles, but they also tied a season-high by giving up six home runs to the RedHawks. Chris Davis belted two home runs and had four RBIs to pace the Oklahoma offensive attack. Steve Bray's first start of the season for the Sounds did not go as well as he had hoped. He gave up nine earned runs over three innings while surrendering four home runs to the RedHawks. It was the first spot start of the season for the reliever, who came into the game with a 1.71 ERA (5 ER / 26.1 IP) in his last 16 appearances. Oklahoma got to Bray early when Davis launched his first two-run home run of the day well beyond the right field wall to plate the first runs of the game in the first inning. The longball was Davis's eighth of the year and came after a two-out double from former Sound Nelson Cruz, who paced the Oklahoma offense with a 4-for-5 afternoon. Another two-run homer in the top of the second inning doubled the RedHawks lead to four after Taylor Teagarden knocked his fifth dinger over the left field wall. Nashville responded with a five-run rally in the bottom of the second inning with the help of seven hits off Elizardo Ramirez. Brendan Katin, J.R. Hopf, and Adam Heether all had RBI hits to give the Sounds their largest scoring output since June 12 in just one inning at the plate. The home run parade kept rolling for the RedHawks in the top of the third after Davis crushed his second jack of the day and ninth on the year to bring Cruz in to score and give the lead back to Oklahoma. After a Teagarden walk and a Nate Gold single, Drew Meyer added his second home run of the year and the fourth in the first three innings for the RedHawks to help extend their lead. Not to be outdone, Laynce Nix belted a three-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the third inning to score Brad Nelson and Vinny Rottino for the Sounds. The homer was Nix's ninth on the year. AUDIO: Laynce Nix Three-Run HR Nashville then evened up the score at nine in the bottom of the fourth when Rottino knocked his second double of the day to score Callix Crabbe from second. The run came off Oklahoma reliever Yukinaga Maeda after he took over for Ramirez, who gave up eight earned runs off 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings but did not factor in the decision. Oklahoma went up for good though in the top of the sixth inning when Cruz added two more to his team-leading RBI (57) total for the RedHawks with a two-run single off Nashville reliever Chris Narveson (2-8). Narveson was tagged with the loss after giving up two earned runs off three hits in four innings of work. The RedHawks tacked on two more runs off their fifth and sixth home runs of the day when Nate Gold and Cruz knocked solo shots off Sounds reliever Jason Shiell in the eighth and ninth innings respectively. Maeda (2-3) earned the win for Oklahoma after giving up one run in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Kea Kometani, Bill White, and Wes Littleton combined to throw three innings of scoreless relief to close out the game for the RedHawks. The teams will continue the series on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Derrick Turnbow (1-1, 10.32) will take the mound for the Sounds and face off against RedHawks righty Kameron Loe (2-4, 5.71). Nashville Box Score Yeah, nobody better than Derrick Turnbow Thursday to inspire confidence in a miserably slumping club; how Steve Bray did not get tagged with the loss is amazing but numerically correct in baseball terms; Chris Woodward's playing well; you never hear pitchers say one way or the other that they like throwing to Vinny Rottino, not that you would hear them implicitly say they don't -- that being said, the Sounds' staff has been brutal... Nashville Game Log

I don't see Austin Adams on that Hyannis Mets roster, so far it's just Evan Bronson who I've identified on a roster thus far.

Keep in mind the article on Austin Adams was dated June 7th, however.

This article provides some insight as to why a college junior signing (10th round) would begin in Maryvale, not Helena, but Greg Miller appears to be pretty raw as of yet with a high ceiling. Link while active, text follows: Dream come true for Miller By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Hammonton (N.J.) News Staff Writer gungaro@thehammontonnews.com Greg Miller is a professional baseball player. The Seton Hall junior and 2005 Hammonton High School graduate, was selected in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. A few days later he signed a contract and was sent off to Arizona where he is playing in the Rookie League. "It's has been exciting and a dream come true," said Miller in a phone interview from his hotel room in Phoenix. "The whole season has been long and drawn out and I was trying not to think about the draft until it came up and things worked out. Me and my family are grateful that I was picked up by the Brewers." "We were so proud and honored," said Greg's father Gene Miller, who is the principal at the Hammonton Middle School. "He started at 5-years old batting off a tee in the front lawn. I would set the ball and he started whacking it and he progressed from there. I started pitching him waffle balls at him so he could get used to it. We used to be up at 6'o clock in the morning and my neighbors would make fun of me because they would get up at 7 a.m. and we would still be out there. "He just has a total love of sports. He played baseball, football and hockey. He played anything. He always had a ball in his hand. Usually he had a ball and glove so he could play catch." Hammonton High School coach Matt Lenguadoro is proud that a former player has reached the pro ranks. "From my end and the aspect of Hammonton High School I think it's awesome," he said. "It's a shot in the arm to have someone like that go through the school system and to have an opportunity to coach someone as talented as that and go on and be a success and get drafted is an awesome experience for everybody." Miller hardly took the mound for the Blue Devils, but Lenguadoro was every aware of his lively arm. "Greg had going for him is that he was very strong and he had a violent swing," Lenguadoro said. "He didn't pitch that much for us his senior year, but I knew he threw the ball hard." For most of his college career Greg Miller has been a part-time pitcher. The Pirates junior started occasionally and logged some innings in relief. He did enough to impress the scouts and the Brewers, who picked him 308th overall. Miller is excited to see what he can do when his total focus is on pitching. "I mean it's exciting because it's something new," said Miller, who throws as hard as 96 miles per hour. "I get work at it full time and work to get better at every aspect. I have to work on control and off-speed pitchers. I'm focusing on just pitching and I should gain more velocity." Miller is working out daily with the team, preparing for the upcoming season, which starts on June 23. The league is the first of many steps he hopes to take through the Brewers organization. "Most prospects take two or three years before they look to make it to the big leagues," Miller said. "Hopefully I will work my way up and the only way to do that is to work hard and to dedicate myself top get better every day."

In progress: Oklahoma (Rangers) 9, Nashville 8, bottom of the 3rd in Nashville And amazingly, both starters are still in the game with this score; Steve Bray with a disastrous spot start, as he's been touched for four home runs, none of them solo shots; overcoming a 4-0 deficit in the 2nd inning, the Sounds had seven base hits in the frame to take a 5-4 lead -- so with a chance for redemption, Bray immediately coughed up the lead allowing five runs himself; Laynce Nix's three-run home run in the 3rd cut the 9-5 lead to the current 9-8 score as the Sounds still bat in the 3rd -- with the Redhawks' Elizardo Ramirez finally knocked from the game just now; wind is only one MPH, so Bray can't blame that...

Final, completion of Tuesday's suspended game: Vero Beach (Rays) 3, Brevard County 1 Lots to mention here. MiLB.com's box score was incorrect yesterday. Rehabbing LHP Randy Choate threw one scoreless inning to start. It was LHP Chris Cody who surrendered the three-run home run after walking two in the second inning. Since Cody wasn't going to pitch again today, LHP Bobby Bramhall came in and tossed six scoreless two-hit innings, walking none -- wow. Unfortunately, the somewhat punchless Manatee offense couldn't come back to give Bramhall a deserved win. Cody taks the loss. Brevard County Box Score Charlie Fermaint 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base, his 17th in 21 attempts -- he's been in the cleanup spot lately; game was played through nine innings based on the suspension, unlike "usual" doubleheaders, expect Game Two to go seven innings, I believe... Brevard County Game Log The last 11 Manatees went down in order...

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 41 31 .569 - 23-13 18-18 L1 Memphis 36 36 .500 5.0 15-17 21-19 W1 Omaha 33 37 .471 7.0 15-19 18-18 L4 Nashville 28 44 .389 13.0 15-17 13-27 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 1 0 1.000 - 0-0 1-0 W1 Tennessee 1 0 1.000 - 1-0 0-0 W1 West Tenn 1 0 1.000 - 0-0 1-0 W1 Chattanooga 0 1 .000 1.0 0-1 0-0 L1 Huntsville 0 1 .000 1.0 0-1 0-0 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 42 27 .609 - 26-11 16-16 W1 Brevard County 34 33 .507 7.0 21-14 13-19 L2 Daytona 34 35 .493 8.0 16-18 18-17 L1 Vero Beach 33 34 .493 8.0 21-12 12-22 W1 Jupiter 33 36 .478 9.0 19-13 14-23 L1 St. Lucie 19 50 .275 23.0 9-26 10-24 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 41 29 .586 - 19-19 22-10 L1 Delmarva 38 31 .551 2.5 22-13 16-18 L1 Greensboro 38 32 .543 3.0 17-18 21-14 L3 Lakewood 38 32 .543 3.0 19-15 19-17 W1 Hagerstown 34 35 .493 6.5 16-20 18-15 W1 West Virginia 32 37 .464 8.5 13-20 19-17 W3 Hickory 30 40 .429 11.0 14-21 16-19 L1 Lexington 21 48 .304 19.5 10-24 11-24 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 1 0 1.000 - 0-0 1-0 W1 Great Falls 1 0 1.000 - 0-0 1-0 W1 Helena 0 1 .000 1.0 0-1 0-0 L1 Missoula 0 1 .000 1.0 0-1 0-0 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 Wednesday'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_18_orhaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_18_wtdaax_hunaax_1 Brevard County Completion of Suspended Game: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_17_breafa_vbdafa_1 Brevard County Regularly Scheduled Game: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_18_breafa_vbdafa_1 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_18_grfrok_helrok_1

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Steve Bray at home vs. Oklahoma (Rangers), 11:45 AM pre-game; 12:00 PM gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: First, it's the completion of Tuesday's suspended game with Vero Beach up 3-0 after two innings, then RHP Jeremy Jeffress takes the mound in Game Two at Vero Beach (Devil Rays), 11:00 AM gametime start to the day Audio link, Vero Beach's broadcast (games will also archive at this link): web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 West Virginia: Idle Helena: 2008 supplemetal first round LHP Evan Frederickson at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Audio link via KCAP (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp Arizona: Season begins Monday, June 23rd

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

To make room for catcher Jonathan Lucroy at Brevard, 23-year-old catcher / outfielder Anderson de la Rosa has been sent down to West Virginia from the Manatees. Some of us have wanted to see what the Venezuelan prospect can do with more playing time, which should be available, splitting time with Uly Snijders with the Power. Meanwhile at Brevard, Andy Bouchie and Martin Maldonado will vie for playing time behind the dish on days when Lucroy is the DH or out of the lineup.

Jacob Messer of the Charleston Daily Mail does a fantastic job as usual -- Link while active, text follows: Wheeler, Haydel shine at SAL All-Star Game North defeats South 13-4 by Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter As the first half of the South Atlantic League season came to a close last week, no West Virginia Power hitters were hotter than Zelous Wheeler and Lee Haydel. Wheeler and Haydel each hit .400 (16-for-40) in their last 10 games. Wheeler had six runs and eight RBI during that stretch, while Haydel had three RBI and eight runs. The duo maintained that momentum in the SAL All-Star Game, combining for three hits and accounting for five runs Tuesday night in the North's 13-4 win over the South in front of a crowd of 8,367 fans at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C. Wheeler was 2-for-3 with one walk, two runs and two RBI after replacing Hickory (N.C.) shortstop Jose De Los Santos in the top of the third inning. Haydel started in center field and was 1-for-3 with two runs. With Haydel on first base after a South error, Wheeler hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. "We were just having fun," Wheeler said in a telephone interview after the game. "There was a nice crowd. I just came out and performed for the crowd. I did the best I can do and I had a great night." "I was fortunate enough to be picked for the all-star game, and I just came out and had fun and played hard because it was an honor to be there," Haydel added. "I appreciated the opportunity. "I had a good game, and Zelous had a great game. It felt good for West Virginia to represent the (North) all-star team." Hagerstown (Md.) first baseman Bill Rhinehart edged Wheeler to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the North. Rhinehart was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer in the first. Wheeler and Haydel will try to continue their hot hitting at 7:05 (6:05 Central) Thursday night, when West Virginia is scheduled to begin the second half of the SAL season with the first of a five-game road series against Kannapolis (N.C.) at FieldCrest Cannon Stadium. SAL teams are off today. "We definitely want to do that," Haydel said. "Definitely, definitely, definitely. Me and him both finished pretty hot in the first half. We're looking to carry it over into the second half." Power pitcher Amaury Rivas didn't fare quite as well as his teammates. Neither did former Power catcher Jonathan Lucroy, whom the Milwaukee Brewers promoted this week. Rivas allowed one run on two hits in one inning with one strikeout and no walks. Lucroy, who was expected to report to high Class A Brevard County (Fla.) today, was 0-for-2 with one strikeout. He lined out sharply to Augusta (Ga.) pitcher Madison Bumgarner in his other at-bat. Lucroy also was one of seven players to participate in the home run derby, won by Hagerstown right fielder Michael Burgess. Burgess beat Charleston (S.C.) catcher Jesus Montero, 2-1, in the final round. Burgess hit 16 home runs in three rounds. Montero had 11. Lucroy's total wasn't available. * * * WEST VIRGINIA will host the 50th annual SAL All-Star Game at Appalachian Power Park next year. The Charleston franchise has been a member of the low Class A circuit for 21 years, but the Capital City has hosted the SAL All-Star Game only once. That was in 1989, when the North defeated the South, 14-4, at Watt Powell Park in front of a crowd of 7,318 -- the third-largest crowd in SAL All-Star Game history, dating to 1960. * * * SAL OFFICIALS inducted the Class of 2008 into the league's hall of fame Tuesday afternoon. The class consisted of three players (Buddy Bell, Vince Coleman and Matt Winters) along with one executive (Bing Devine) and one umpire (Johnnie McKenzie Shives). * * * A PAIR of former Major League All-Stars served as honorary managers Tuesday night. Andre Dawson, an outfielder who spent most of his career with the Montreal Expos, was in the South dugout. Tony Perez, a first baseman who spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, was in the North dugout. Dawson and Perez now work as special assistants to the president for the Florida Marlins, whose organization is the parent club of the host Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Link while active, text follows: Slow start to Brewers' season By TOM STUBER - Helena Independent Record A picture-perfect night at the ballpark didn't yield a picture-perfect game for the Helena Brewers on Tuesday. The Great Falls Voyagers handed the Brewers a 9-0 loss on the season's opening day. Doug Thennis and Eduardo Escobar slugged home runs for the Voyagers, and Jordan Cheatham collected three hits. That was more than enough to back the solid arm of Great Falls' starter Kevin Skogley. Skogley went seven strong innings allowing four hits while collecting eight strikeouts and walking none. Aside from a couple pitches, Helena starter Efrain Nieves wasn't bad either. "I thought Nieves threw well for us today," Brewer manager Rene Gonzales said. "He had a couple balls up in the air, the wind's blowing out and they went out." Nieves went 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs with three of those coming off the home runs, which were both hit with two outs. "They were pressing, but again you have to give (Skogley) so much credit," Gonzales said. "He's dominant, obviously he's their No. 1 starter. I thought he was going to throw a complete game there for a while the way he was going." Skogley (1-0) got all the run support he would need in the first inning. Jesse Avilla smacked a double to left-center and scored on a Johny Celis single. Charlis Burdie finished up for Great Falls by pitching the final two innings and striking out five. Thennis hit a two-run shot in the third and Escobar had a solo job in the fourth. Great Falls picked up five insurance runs over the final two innings. Only two Helena runners advanced past second base. John Delaney got there with one out in the third as Helena threatened to cut into the 3-0 Voyagers' lead, but Mike Vass hit into a double play to end the inning. Helena had one last chance to get rid of the goose egg in the ninth when Vass singled and made it to third on a passed ball and wild pitch only to be stranded as Chris Dennis and Brock Kjeldgaard struck out and Corey Kemp flew out to right. Gonzales still had kind words for his team. "Just making sure they know they're good players and they got drafted and are here for a reason," he said. "It's the first night game for a lot of these guys. Settle down and we'll be fine. "If we're playing this way two-three weeks from now, then I'd be concerned." Milwaukee's No. 1 draft pick Evan Frederickson starts on the mound tonight. Lisa Kunkel IR staff photographer - Adam Arnold pitches to a Great Falls player in the bottom of the ninth inning during Tuesday's opening game at Kindrick Legion Field. http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/18/sports/top/50spl_080618_brewers-2.jpg Helena Brewers' Michael Marseco stops a wide throw as Great Falls' Nick Mahin slides safely into second base during Tuesday night's opening game at Kindrick Legion Field. The Voyagers defeated the Brewers 9-0. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/18/sports/top/50spl_080618_brewers.jpg Helena Box Score Outfielders Cutter Dykstra and Chris Dennis each 0-for-4 with three K's as the bottom of the order had more success; Dennis is the club's only left-handed bat until reinforcements arrive; John Delaney drew Helena's only walk... Helena Game Log

Article detailing Helena's history of producing future major leaguers...

Link while active, text follows: Brewers reliever strikes out three By TOM KREAGER Tennessean Staff Writer Milwaukee Brewers reliever David Riske made the most of his brief start with the Sounds on Tuesday night against Oklahoma. Riske, who is on a rehabilitation assignment, struck out all three batters he faced. He threw 12 pitches - nine strikes - before being pulled for regular starter Ben Howard. "That was good for him (Riske)," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "Early in games here it's hard as heck to see. That always has something to do with it. But he looked really crisp. Everything looked really good." Riske, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, has been used as a late-inning reliever for the Brewers this season. He has appeared in 18 games, pitching 21 innings. He is 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA. Riske made the rare start to guarantee him time on the mound. He is scheduled to start again Thursday. Flood recovery: This won't be a banner season for the farm of Sounds first baseman Brad Nelson's parents. But it could be much worse. Nelson, who is from Algona, Iowa, said his parents' crops of corn and soybeans have been affected by the recent flooding. But his family did not have to evacuate. "There was some water in the basement," Nelson said. "But that's about it. It's not near as bad as it was in a lot of other places." Cruz back in town: Oklahoma right fielder Nelson Cruz helped the Sounds win the 2005 Pacific Coast League championship when his home run clinched the title. He had two hits and two runs for the RedHawks in Tuesday's game. Cruz was an all-star for the Sounds in 2006 before being sent to the Rangers as part of a six-player deal. Current Sounds' center fielder Laynce Nix was sent to the Brewers in the trade. Cain sent down: Outfielder Lorenzo Cain was re-assigned to Class A Brevard County by Milwaukee after hitting .158 in 19 at-bats for the Sounds. His roster spot was not filled. Upcoming: The first 2,000 people at Friday's game with Oklahoma will receive a Joseph the Dreamer bobblehead doll. Game time is set for 7 p.m. There will be a pre-game concert by former American Idol contestant Chris Sligh at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks after the game.

Link while active, text follows: RedHawks continue to dominate Sounds By TOM KREAGER Tennessean Staff Writer Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas doesn't point to one thing that has hurt his team against Oklahoma this season. There are too many things to look at as the reason why the RedHawks have dominated the Sounds. Oklahoma defeated Nashville 6-0 on Tuesday night at Greer Stadium for its ninth straight win over the Sounds. The RedHawks have outscored Nashville 57-25 this season. "They are just beating us," Kremblas said. "If they are outscoring us by that much they are just beating us." The nine-game skid against Oklahoma is the Sounds' longest since 2001 when they lost nine straight to New Orleans. The Sounds (28-44) finished the first-half of the season with its worst record since they went 30-42 to start the 1998 season. Nashville was 42-30 at this point last year. "I think we have to get a little bit better mentally," Sounds right fielder Tony Gwynn said. "Over the last couple of games we've seemed to make a lot of mental errors. If we can change that, the pitchers are throwing the heck out of the ball. "It's just a matter of time until we start hitting." The Sounds managed just six hits against Oklahoma in the first of a four-game series. Oklahoma (39-34) broke the game open with three runs in the seventh inning off Ben Howard, who replaced reliever David Riske after the first inning. Riske was scheduled to pitch only the first inning while on a rehab assignment from Milwaukee. Joaquin Arias, who tripled and scored Oklahoma's second run of the game, doubled to open the seventh. Nelson Cruz was then hit by a pitch before Chris Davis drove in Arias with a single. Travis Metcalf's single later drove in Cruz and Davis. Cruz scored again in the eighth when he singled and scored from first on Chris Davis' double. All five runs allowed by Howard (2-3) were earned. Steve Rowe (3-2) gave up four hits through six innings to pick up the win. What they said: "We've got to play better. It's as simple as that ... everywhere ... offense, defense, pitching and baserunning. All facets of the game we are not consistent enough." - Kremblas.

Nashville Photo Gallery from the Tennessean

Huntsville WUMP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Manager Don Money Go to the June 17th archive, then the 02:30 minute mark -- discussion on Mat Gamel's recent defensive lapses included...

Charleston Gazette: Power's Wheeler homers in all-star win GREENSBORO, N.C. - West Virginia Power shortstop Zelous Wheeler went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs as the North All-Stars pounded the South 13-4 in the South Atlantic League All-Star game Tuesday. Wheeler, who entered the game in the third inning, hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, which scored Power teammate Lee Haydel. Haydel, the Power center fielder, went 1-for-3 and scored twice. He singled in the fourth and came home on a Matt Cusick single. The North rolled up 18 hits and led from the third inning. Power starting pitcher Amuary Rivas appeared in the seventh inning, allowing two hits, a run and striking out one. Power catcher Jonathan Lucroy started for the North and went 0-for-2. Lake County pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz picked up the win for the North. Columbus pitcher Alexander Cobb was tagged with the loss. Hagerstown first baseman Bill Rhinehart went 3-for-3 for the South, including a two-run home run in the first inning. The Power returns to regular-season play to start the second half Thursday at Kannapolis. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 (6:05 Central). The Power's next home game is June 26 against the Lexington Legends.

Link while active, text follows: Stars stumbled down the stretch Loss in 'playoff' game just continued team's month-long slide Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com or visit his al.com blog at http://blog.al.com/mccarter Huntsville Times It's three pennants. And an empty flagpole that could have held a fourth. Check that. Should have held a fourth. The Huntsville Stars won three straight division titles. Unprecedented stuff for a team that has often seemed to be playing in a vacuum. Amazing stuff considering the up-and-down nature of minor league baseball, the ebbs and flows of talent surges. You could make it four titles, if you hung a Barry Bonds-sized asterisk on it. They were tied with West Tenn in the Southern League North at the end of the first half. That necessitated Tuesday's "playoff." So much for history. The Stars became a footnote, not a headline. West Tenn 5, Huntsville 1. Pass the pennant to the Diamond Jaxx on a night when the Stars looked tortilla flat. It shouldn't have come to this, of course. The Stars limped home, losing three of their last four and 18 of their last 30. "If we won the games we should have won, we wouldn't be sitting here asking these questions," said manager Don Money. No matter Tuesday's outcome, it has been a two-year run of unprecedented success. "The organization has gotten good players," said Money. "Our job has been to put them in situations and give them the opportunity to succeed." The last 24 months, that has happened. In 2006, the Stars endured a 14-game losing streak in the first half and finished last. Then came an amazing second-half turnaround, a tsunami they surfed until a little after 7 p.m. last night. They won 36 of their last 47 games in 2006 and reached the Southern League championship finals. They won both halves of the 2007 season, then came within two outs of a league championship when Montgomery got an epic three-run home run off Stars closer Luis Pena. The starting pitcher that night was Steve Hammond. He couldn't have pitched more beautifully. But last night, Brent Johnson greeted him with a single to open the game and Hammond threw wildly on a sure double-play ball back to the mound. A Mike Wilson two-run double gave West Tenn all it needed. Bittersweet night for Hammond. It was his last game for the Stars. He's been promoted to Triple-A Nashville. While we're moseying down memory lane, this one-game playoff was a little deja vu all over again, from nine years ago when the Stars and Diamond Jaxx finished the first half tied. They met on July 15, 1999. Allen Levrault, an irrepressible pitcher from the south side of Boston, more familiarly known as "Meat," was the starting pitcher for Huntsville. It was his first start in nearly a month, having been smacked in the nose with a ball during batting practice in mid-June. He quickly got figuratively smacked in the nose in the first inning - much as happened to Hammond - for three runs, after holding the Jaxx hitless for 11 innings in a two-game stretch earlier in the season. The Stars trailed 5-1 and rallied to tie the game 5-5 despite going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, then lost 7-6. "This would have been a huge win for us," an outfielder named Toby Kominek said that night. Some things haven't changed in nine years. How huge for history would this one could have been. Should have been.

Link while active, text follows: First-half flameout Huntsville falls flat in one-game showdown against West Tenn By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times A win would have hidden the ugly truth. But when the Huntsville Stars lost to West Tenn on Tuesday night 5-1 and lost the Southern League North Division's first- half title, it couldn't be denied. No matter how you paint it, the Stars slumped away the title. From five games up on May 14, when they had a 29-11 record, the Stars limped to a 12-19 finish. On Tuesday night, the Diamond Jaxx capped off an 18-13 run during the same stretch with a win in what essentially was a one-game playoff. "We had a pretty good lead at one point, but down the stretch, we just didn't play very good," Stars manager Don Money said. "It was a combination of things." From a shaky bullpen to the lack of clutch hitting to getting in early-inning holes, the final 31 games were forgettable for Huntsville - much like Tuesday. The loss marked the second time in the past nine years that the Diamond Jaxx beat the Stars in a first-half playoff game. On July 15, 1999, West Tenn won 7-6 to take the half. The canvas for Tuesday's game looked to be just as dramatic. Unfortunately, the game itself wasn't. West Tenn starter Ryan Ketchner shut down the potent Stars lineup, and Huntsville's Steve Hammond didn't have his No. 1 starter stuff. Still, Hammond's feelings were mixed afterward as Money called him into his office and informed him he was being called up to Triple-A Nashville. The lefty's final game as a Star was forgettable: 5 2/3 innings, 10 hits, five runs (four earned). He gave up two in the first, one in the fourth and two more in the sixth when he was chased by Luis Valbuena's two-strike, two-out, two-run single. "So many mixed emotions," Hammond said. "It's so soon after a tough night, a tough loss, but this is obviously a big step in the right direction for me. "I've been waiting for this ever since I got to Huntsville two years ago." Ketchner pitched like he'd been waiting for a stage like Tuesday's his whole life. The Jaxx left-hander worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing just four hits and a run. He was spurred on by a crowd of about 80 people who bussed in from Jackson. And behind him, he had a lineup that powdered Hammond. Even when Ketchner faltered in the eighth, reliever Shawn Kelley came in and got Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel out with two runners on to end Huntsville's threat. All of those ingredients led to a first-half title for West Tenn as the Jaxx capped off a month and a half where they simply outplayed the Stars. "Ketchner threw a heck of a game," West Tenn manager Scott Steinmann said. "It came down to one game, and it was nice to win on the road. We got consistently better this year, good series after good series." Now, the Stars must find a way to pick up the pieces after a difficult setback. They lose their No. 1 starter, and they're now fighting for a playoff spot like everybody else. "It's obviously a tough loss, and I think for the rest of the night, everyone will be thinking about it," first baseman Chris Errecart said. "But tomorrow, we're going to come out here and try to beat these guys and get the second half started on the right foot." Added catcher Angel Salome: "It's already behind us. There's nothing we can do about it now. The game is over." Thankfully for the Stars, the season isn't.