Jim Goulart

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 6, Huntsville 5 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Torres Pitches Barons Past Stars Stars Dislodged From Top Spot in Division By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Carlos Torres spun seven solid innings and Victor Mercedes and Cole Armstrong knocked in two runs to push Birmingham past Huntsville 6-5 Sunday afternoon in the last of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Barons took four out of five in the series to improve to 29-21 and open up a five and a half game lead on Montgomery in the South, while the Stars dropped to 31-19 and into second place, a game behind victorious West Tenn in the North Division. Huntsville lost eight of ten on the home stand with seven of the defeats by either one or two runs. The Stars had been in first place since May 4. Cole Gillespie led off the home ninth with a single against Jon Link and advanced to second base on a Carlos Corporan sacrifice bunt before Guilder Rodriguez struck out and Michael Brantley flied out to end the game. Huntsville stranded nine runners in each of the first four games, 41 in the series and 95 in the ten games. Link locked down his league-high 13th save of the season and second of the series. Mercedes' run-scoring ground out in the third inning gave the Barons the lead before the Stars tied the game in the home half on Alcides Escobar's fielder's choice grounder. The Barons grabbed the lead right back in the top of the fourth on Armstrong's two-run double and a wild pitch by starter Mike Jones that allowed Armstrong to score. Matt LaPorta's home run in the fourth, just the second allowed all year by Torres, trimmed the lead to 4-2. Jones was removed after four frames, yielding four runs on five hits, while walking four and striking out a pair. Donovan Hand, from nearby Town Creek, AL, took over in the fifth in his double-A debut and saw his second pitch hit out of the ballpark by David Cook to give the visitors a 5-2 lead. The Stars got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Rodriguez, who then advanced to third on a hit-and-run single by Brantley. However, Escobar flied out to shallow left and Mat Gamel fouled out to end the inning. Mercedes doubled in Armstrong in the sixth to extend the lead to 6-3 and was taken out of the game after re-aggravating a leg injury. He knocked in seven runs in the four games he played in during the series. Hand then settled down and retired 10 of the last 11 he faced to close out his five inning performance, giving up two runs on four hits and fanning four. Torres gave up three runs on seven hits and matched a season-high with seven strikeouts and was replaced by Derek Rodriguez, who gave up a two-out, two-run home run to Chris Errecart that cut the lead to 6-5. The Stars open a series Monday night in Mobile with southpaw Steve Hammond getting the starting nod against BayBears right-hander Adam Howard. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 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 Michael Brantley's ankle is fine -- three singles; Mike Bell 6th, Cole Gillespie 7th in the lineup -- on a day when Angel Salome was off; Mike Jones has walked 20 and struck out only 14 in 25 closely monitored innings (5.76 ERA) -- I'd love to say all the hard work is paying off, but results, at least statistically, are minimal thus far... Huntsville Game Log

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with LHP Brae Wright Make sure you are on the WUMP audio archive of May 25th, then go to the 03:00 minute mark...

Final: Brevard County 7, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 4 Brevard County Box Score Nice relief work by Casey Baron and Omar Aguilar gave the 'Tees the opportunity to come back for the win; Andy Bouchie three singles in the cleanup spot; Taylor Green's HR was a three-run blast in the first inning; that's former Brewer farmhand Brian Wolfe (Corey Koskie trade) on a rehab assignment for the Jays... Brevard County Game Log Winning rally in the top of the 9th, down 4-3 to start -- - Pitcher Change: Connor Falkenbach replaces Edward Rodriguez. - Jimmy Mojica singles on a ground ball to second baseman Bradley Emaus. - Matt Cline out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Connor Falkenbach to first baseman Brian Dopirak. Jimmy Mojica to 2nd. - Yohannis Perez singles on a line drive to center fielder Sean Shoffit. Jimmy Mojica scores. - Darren Ford doubles (5) on a line drive to center fielder Sean Shoffit. Yohannis Perez scores. - Lorenzo Cain doubles (15) on a line drive to left fielder Chris Emanuele. Darren Ford scores. - Taylor Green doubles (12) on a line drive to center fielder Sean Shoffit. Lorenzo Cain scores. - Pitcher Change: Nathan Starner replaces Connor Falkenbach. - Andy Bouchie grounds out to first baseman Brian Dopirak. Taylor Green to 3rd. - Stephen Chapman grounds out, second baseman Bradley Emaus to first baseman Brian Dopirak.

FYI -- don't be surprised if you read about a certain 2nd round shortstop for the Power moving up to Brevard County early this week.

West Virginia's Lee Haydel in the camoflage uniform Link while active, text follows: BlueClaws manager enjoys homecoming Lakewood pounds Power 13-2 By Michael Polak, Charleston Gazette The West Virginia Power was no match for Elkview, W.V. native Steve Roadcap's Lakewood BlueClaws Sunday as the Power fell 13-2. "It's great to come home," Roadcap said. "This is a great environment." The BlueClaws (26-24) put the game out of reach in the fifth inning, scoring six runs to take a 7-0 lead. The Power (19-31) pulled starting pitcher Daniel Merklinger for Wes Etheridge after he walked the leadoff man. Yet, Etheridge struggled. Derrick Mitchell started the fifth-inning hit parade with a single. Michael Taylor, Karl Bolt and Dennis Winn each hit RBI singles and Travis Mattair hit an RBI double. "It's baseball," Power manager Jeff Isom said of the fifth-inning rally. "When they put a crooked number like that on the board, it's hard to bounce back. They had a tough pitcher." "We were hitting the ball well," Roadcap said of the rally. "We're a young team and have been up and down this year, but hitting is contagious." The BlueClaws put up 17 hits in the game. Leftfielder Taylor went 3-for-4 with an RBI. First baseman Bolt went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Third baseman Mattair went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Designated hitter Mitchell went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. Rightfielder T.J. Warren went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Every BlueClaw starter got at least one hit. Merklinger (0-4) had a solid game, allowing five hits, two runs and striking out four. "He does better each time," Isom said of Merklinger's performance. "He needs to work on consistently finding the strike zone, but I was pleased with his performance." Lakewood took the early lead on a Bolt second-inning leadoff home run. The Power was held in check by Chance Chapman (2-4), who went seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight. "Chapman threw the ball well today," Roadcap said. "He gave us seven strong innings, which we really needed." The Power finally got on the board in the eighth inning. David Fonseca scored on Jonathan Lucroy's single. Steffan Wilson hit an double to drive in Lucroy, making the score 11-2 Lakewood.

Final: Lakewood (Phillies) 13, West Virginia 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: BLUECLAWS BURY POWER The Lakewood BlueClaws scored 13 runs on 17 hits on Sunday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park and received seven scoreless innings from their starting pitcher Chance Chapman in a 13-2 victory over the West Virginia Power. Karl Bolt began the second inning with a solo home run to put Lakewood on the board. The BlueClaws did most of their damage in the fifth inning where they scored six runs on five hits. Michael Taylor, Bolt and Dennis Winn singled consecutively to bring in one run apiece before Travis Mattair doubled in two and Freddy Galvis's sacrifice fly scored Winn to finish the inning. Lakewood added four more in the eighth inning on Tim Kennelly's run-scoring single and a three-run homer from Derrick Mitchell. The Power avoided the shutout by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning on Jonathan Lucroy's RBI single and Steffan Wilson's run-scoring double. Kennelly doubled in a run during the top of the ninth and T.J. Warren's sacrifice fly scored Galvis. Chapman (2-4) tossed seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball and he struck out eight batters to get the victory. He allowed just two runners to reach second base. Dan Merklinger (0-4) surrendered a pair of runs on five hits and struck out four over four and a third but was tagged with the loss. The Power fell to 19-30 with the loss and the BlueClaws improved to 26-24 with the win. The BlueClaws have now won five in a row. Steffan Wilson had West Virginia's only multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. West Virginia has now lost five games in a row at Appalachian Power Park and have not won at home since May 10th. The Power will continue their four-game series against Lakewood Monday afternoon. Right hander Evan Anundsen (3-3, 4.08) will get the start for the Power and the BlueClaws will counter with right hander Drew Naylor (4-2, 2.55). The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM (12:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score It was not a pleasant birthday for 20-year-old RHP Jose Garcia, who has been pretty much overmatched all season; not a stellar day for anyone, so it's not fair to single out Jose, although I just did -- this squad need some soul-searching... West Virginia Game Log

From the article we linked to today: Hand said developing another pitch has been the key to his success this year. "I had been getting by with my fastball and change-up, but I needed a slider," he said. "This year in spring training, I learned how to throw a good hard slider, and it has been my go-to pitch. That has been the biggest difference for me this year."

Wow, I mean, just, wow. You did mean to type one of the slowest, right?

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Makin' Meat Loaf of Birmingham One of the most clever promotions I've ever seen at the Joe, aside from Mayberry Night (which was beat into the earth and buried), didn't come from the fertile mind of GM Buck Rogers, it came from the wild brain of Matt Price, the Stars' Promotion Director (who I think would make a great GM someday)........ It was Meat Loaf Day at the ole ball park....... Nine brave home-cooking connoisseurs put their meat loafs where their mouths are before the game, as they were spread out on the inner concourse. Everyone entering the gate was given a ballot and invited to go to each numbered meat loaf table, and try a sample with the chef standing there imploring you to vote for them (of course). A tenth dropped out before the competition, which started at 12:30, an hour and a half before the start of the game.......Then you vote and turn it in to the customer info booth....... These were no ordinary meat loafs. Sam Rubin of Dolce added some special sauce of some kind to it, but the meat loaf lacked character. Give me spice, and that's what I got from #1 (Brad Miller), #2 (Sunny and Darwin Baker), and #6 (Rick Petitpas). I'm no gourmand, so I don't know what they put in their recipes, but it made you want more, so using that as a basis for my judgment, I voted for #6....... The winners turned out to be #2. Petitpas, my choice, finished 2nd, and #9, Kai Gustafson, whose meat loaf was gone by the time I got to him, finished in a tie for 3rd...... The winners got 2009 season-tickets and a blue ribbon...... I wonder if it occurred to Buck to invite Gordon Ramsey. After dropping five straight, Buck openly assured us of a win today....... If the Stars didn't win, all fans in attendance could return with their ticket stubs and get a free general admission ticket until they did!.... After losing seven of eight games -- six of them by one or two runs -- the Stars came to the plate with a vengeance for Brae Wright, who hadn't seen a victory since a 1-0 two-hitter over 5 2/3 innings in the 4th game of the season, and hadn't received a lot of run support either. In four of his five losses, the Stars, who average six runs a game, couldn't get more than a run for him. [align=center] Innings Run Supp. April 12 West Tenn. 6 1 April 17 Chattanooga 7 3 April 22 Mississippi 3 1/3 5 April 27 Jacksonville 5 2 May 3 Montgomery 7 0 May 8 Mobile 5 1/3 1 May 13 Tennessee 6 2 May 18 Carolina 6 1 [/align] Brae not only pitched his finest game since his debut, the Stars scored more runs for him in four innings than all the 29 1/3 innings of his last five starts. The Stars also came up with a season-high 19 hits........ Wright threw 60 of his 90 pitches for strikes, an excellent percentage. And he got ahead on hitters quickly. He threw first-pitch strikes to eight of the first 11 hitters he faced and 16 of 26 in the game. He retired the side in order or faced only three or four batters in six of the seven innings he worked...... The only inning he labored in was the 3rd, when he faced six hitters and threw 27 pitches (16 for strikes). Because of a balk and a wild pitch to leadoff hitter Robert Valido, he allowed the first of his two runs. Valido eventually scored on a fielder's choice....... In the 5th, Valido homered over Freddy Parejo's outstretched glove to close the Stars' lead to 8 runs....... Brae had one other jam. In the 2nd, leadoff hitter Javier Castillo lined a single off the tip of a leaping Mat Gamel's glove. He went to 2nd on a wild pitch and to 3rd on a ground ball, but got no further. Buck assured us of a win, but two things made it easier -- superstition and Ryan O'Malley. To shake things up a bit, Don made Mike Bell his leadoff hitter and had hitting coach Sandy Guerrero coach at third. Bell has been a mere .214 hitter leading off an inning, but he came to the plate in each of the first four innings, collecting two hits and scoring a run ........ O'Malley, who started in the Cubs system and pitched for the Diamond Jaxx and Tennessee Smokies, has a history against the Stars going back to the 2004 season. He took a loss in his first start in 2004, giving up three runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 3-1 loss to the Stars. A year later, on June 30, he gave up four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings, but got the run support in a 9-6 victory....... But overall, he's had decent past success (2-1, 3.24 in six appearances). O'Malley faced 20 hitters. 11 of them collected a hit........ He started out giving up four straight singles in the 1st without retiring a batter. Bell blooped O'Malley's 7th pitch into left-center for a hit. Alcides Escobar moved him to 2nd on a hit to right. Gamel ripped an 0-1 pitch hard on the ground to right to drive in Bell and Matt LaPorta sent a ground ball single up the 3rd base line and under the glove of Castillo to score Escobar for a 2-0 lead. O'Malley struck out Cole Gillespie on a 2-2 pitch, then won the battle against Chris Errecart, who fouled off three 1-2 pitches, then flied to center. Angel Salome, who proposed to his girlfriend in front of over 3,000 fans Friday night at the Joe, hit the first of his two doubles, driving O'Malley's first offering to the right field corner on two hops, scoring LaPorta......Salome is hitting .410 for the month, tops among Stars hitters. The Stars continued to pound O'Malley in the 2nd...... Leadoff hitter Guilder Rodriguez hit a short liner on O'Malley's 2-2 pitch into right field, then stole 2nd and 3rd on consecutive pitches, marking the first time in his four-year history with the Stars that he has stolen two bases in a game, then scored when Escobar dropped a blooper over the infield into shallow center........ It was the first time G. Rod stole two bases in a game since September 1, 2004, when he stole 14 bases for Beloit (Midwest)........ Escobar moved to third on Gamel's groundball single to right, and scored on LaPorta's fly ball deep to center in front of the warning track for a 6-0 lead, 13 batters into the game......... By this time, O'Malley had thrown 50 pitches...... Gamel advanced on LaPorta's fly ball and scored the Stars' 7th run on Gillespie's bloop hit to center, not too dissimilar from Escobar's hit in the inning. That was enough to win, but the insurance was welcome....... The Barons found E.J. Shanks an easy target........ The submariner is no Ted Abernathy or Dan Quisenberry. At least not at home. In 15 appearances now at the Joe, he's given up 20 runs on 26 hits in 18 1/3 innings...... Shanks faced 13 hitters in 1 2/3 innings. He was saved by a gliding stop on the outfield grass by Mike Bell in midair, robbing Miguel Negron of a hit with nobody out and Eric Hollis on 2nd..... After striking out leadoff hitter Stefan Gartrell in the 9th on four pitches, Shanks gave up a shot right back to him for a single, a single to center, a walk, another single to left-center, another walk, another single, and another walk...... That was enough for Don Money. Struggling to find someone who can close ballgames, David Johnson used four pitches to strikeout Javier Castillo looking to end the game Sunday's are now wet-'n'-wild Sundays....... Bring your water gun, super soaker, or umbrella. It's going to be a hot day...... Don will piggy back Mike Jones with Donovan Hand, who will be making his debut for the Stars....... Hand, from Town Creek in Lawrence County (26-15 in three years at Jacksonville State), was called up from Brevard County Friday, leaving behind a 4-2 record and still the 7th best ERA in the Florida State League (2.31)......He was coaching the first base line for the Stars this afternoon...... The Barons will send right-hander Carlos Torres (4-2, 4.53). In the PCL, Sam Narron cruised to a 11-4 victory over the Memphis Chicks at Greer Stadium........ Narron (2-0, 3.46) went seven innings and gave up three runs on seven hits....... The Manatees weren't so lucky. They were bombed by Dunedin, 10-4 and in the Sally League, the West Virginia Power lost to Lakewood, 7-3. The Stars are 2-7 since Don Money became the winningest manager in Stars history....... The Diamond Jaxx also won tonight, so the two teams are still tied for first in the Northern Division, where the Stars once held a five-game lead........ Mat Gamel is still the Southern League batting leader at .374 and has seven hits in his last 14 at-bats with two doubles and five runs scored........ Matt LaPorta leads in home runs (12) and RBIs (45). He has driven in at least a run in four consecutive games and has six in this series. The club record is 11 by Terry Steinbach. Tim Dillard made his major league debut for the Milwaukee Brewers Friday. He pitched one inning of relief against the Washington Nationals...... He threw eight of his 11 pitches for strikes and struck out Aaron Boone........ The Brewers won 5-1......... Dillard is the 176th former Huntsville Star to graduate to the majors......Marino Salas made his major league debut a week earlier against the St. Louis Cardinals.

As noted in a featured article on this forum this morning, RHP Donovan Hand will debut with the Stars Sunday, piggy-backing Mike Jones' effort.

Link while active, text follows: Hand-picked for a promotion By Jeff McIntyre, Times Daily (Northwest Alabama) Assistant Sports Editor There will likely be more fans at Joe Davis Stadium today than the Huntsville Stars typically draw on a Sunday afternoon. That's because many fans will be making the short drive from Hatton to watch a local product pitch on a big stage. Donovan Hand, a former Hatton and Jacksonville State standout, will make his Class AA debut today when the Stars host Birmingham at 2:05 p.m. "I figure I'll have between 100 and 150 people from my extended family there," Hand said. "It's amazing how many people have supported me throughout my career. I'm sure I'll be a little nervous, but I've been in similar situations before. I've just got to go out and do what I get paid to do." Hand earned a promotion to Huntsville by compiling a 4-2 record and an ERA of 2.31 with the Brevard County Manatees of the Class A Florida State League. He was informed of his promotion Friday morning and immediately packed and hit the road headed to Huntsville. It was the third promotion in less than a year for Hand, who was drafted in the 14th round by the Milwaukee Brewers last year. Hand said developing another pitch has been the key to his success this year. "I had been getting by with my fastball and change-up, but I needed a slider," he said. "This year in spring training, I learned how to throw a good hard slider, and it has been my go-to pitch. That has been the biggest difference for me this year." Hand, who turned 22 in April, said he is looking forward to playing in Huntsville. "It's a good situation for me," he said. "It's nice to play so close to home, but it is also nice because I know most of the guys on the team. I practiced with most of them in the spring, so it's not like last year when I came in not knowing anyone. There are some outstanding prospects at Huntsville. "The best thing is that it will be so much easier for my family to see me play. My parents drove 26 hours last year to watch me in Montana, and now they will be less than an hour away. I'm looking forward to being around my brother, who is 17, and trying to be a good role model for him." Hand said he is pleased with the progress he has made in his short time in professional baseball. He expects to spend the rest of the season in Huntsville and said he wants to keep doing the same things which have got him to this point. "It's amazing to think that I was pitching in the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) Tournament at this time last year, and now I'll be pitching in double A," he said. "I'm just trying to keep it all in perspective. I know I'll be excited when I take the mound, but I have to harness that emotion and do my job. "I just thank God for everything he has done for me. It's been an unbelievable ride so far."

Link while active, text follows: Gamel wants defense to match bat By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times Huntsville Stars third baseman Mat Gamel is dominating the Southern League in hitting, but all he wants to talk about is his glove. His defensive deficiencies consume him, but rather than deflect criticism, Gamel seems driven by it. He wants to shake the "defensive liability" label with which some have branded him. "I know that I'm capable at third base, but I know I've got to prove it to (the Milwaukee organization), and I'm up to that challenge," Gamel said. At least now, he's not trying to prove it to himself. Last year at Single-A Brevard County, the former fourth-round draft pick batted .300 and turned heads with his 33-game hitting streak. But he also committed 53 errors, most in the minors, and lost confidence. Stars manager and former Gold Glove third baseman Don Money has worked with Gamel on his footwork to improve his throwing. Gamel had mechanical issues last year setting his feet, causing him to drop his arm and airmail throws. This season, although he has made 11 errors, Money said only two of them were throwing miscues. "To me, I think he's playing well (compared to) what I heard in the past," Money said. Gamel is pleased with his progress. He knows he has a long way to go, but his approach and confidence have improved. "Last year, it was more of a mental thing than anything," he said. "It's like when a pitcher gets the yips and can't throw strikes. I've been more consistent this year, I think. I make the routine plays pretty regularly. "This year, I'm not saying, 'Oh God, don't hit me the ball' out there. I want the ball every single play. I want to prove I can play third base in the big leagues." The 22-year-old's improvement is being monitored by Milwaukee's front office. Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash said Money and Brewers roving infield instructor Garth Iorg have praised Gamel's defensive strides, saying his future is still at third base. "Our preference is to have him at third base and be an everyday, accomplished major league third baseman," Ash said. "When you look at need, that's what we will need, because we have a pretty crowded outfield, and first base looks pretty locked in (with Prince Fielder). "He certainly has great athletic ability and a strong arm. He just needs to work on getting his mechanics smoothed out." The normally easygoing Gamel's grip tightened and knuckles whitened on the bat when he was asked about a potential position change. He takes that personally, he said. But the Brewers have been adamant that they need to develop all-around players after finishing 25th in major league fielding percentage last year. Gamel knows that, especially after Ryan Braun - who was the MLB's worst defensive third baseman statistically - was moved to left field. "We know some of these guys can hit, but we need to know can they be the complete player, and that's important," Ash said. "It's that way with Gamel and (Stars right fielder Matt) LaPorta. That's why they are where they are." Gamel's focus on defense this year hasn't hurt him at the plate. He is currently in the top three in the Southern League in batting average, home runs, RBIs, hits, runs, total bases and slugging percentage. His renewed dedication is evident, according to coaches and teammates. Even girlfriend Julianne Marie has noticed. "He feels like that is tattooed onto him now, all those errors," she said. "He does have to overcome that, but he knows it. Once it gets in his head, it's bad, but he tries not to think about it. He's much more focused this season, and everybody sees that." Such a commitment amazes Marie considering for the first three months they were dating, she didn't even know Gamel played baseball. They began seeing each other last year on Thanksgiving night when Gamel had just returned to his Jacksonville, Fla., home after winning MVP in the Hawaiian Winter League. Marie saw this shaggy-headed guy she went to high school with wearing beach clothes and thought he was just another surfer. Then, in mid-February, he took her home to meet his parents and she saw all his baseball pictures and awards. "He doesn't even tell anybody," Marie said of Gamel's career. "He's probably the most humble person I know." Marie and Gamel's parents are still in the dark at some of his accomplishments, which they hear second-hand. Just last week, the Brewers discussed calling up Gamel to be a designated hitter in an interleague series against Boston. Though Gamel found out about it after the fact, he didn't tell anyone. As exciting as that promotion would have been, he said he is more concerned right now with becoming a complete player. "I'll take it to heart and keep working," Gamel said. "You can't take a day off up there. "I'd rather them realize the improvements I've made on defense. I've made 10 or 11 errors, which isn't great, but it's better than it has been."

I've been remiss in not mentioning that the Sounds series in Memphis has been available in video on MiLB.TV. At $6.95 for a monthly subscription ($29.95 for the season), that may be a choice for some of you. The Sounds have the only evening game today. Of course, there's less reason to watch now that Mr. 3TO is in Milwaukee now http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 26 24 .520 - 10-12 16-12 L1 Omaha 23 24 .489 1.5 13-13 10-11 W4 Iowa 23 25 .479 2.0 14-10 9-15 L1 Nashville 20 28 .417 5.0 11-12 9-16 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 31 18 .633 - 19-10 12-8 W1 West Tenn 31 18 .633 - 18-6 13-12 W1 Carolina 29 20 .592 2.0 14-10 15-10 W2 Chattanooga 25 24 .510 6.0 14-11 11-13 L1 Tennessee 18 32 .360 13.5 8-17 10-15 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 30 19 .612 - 17-8 13-11 W1 Brevard County 25 24 .510 5.0 16-10 9-14 L3 Daytona 24 25 .490 6.0 10-13 14-12 W1 Vero Beach 23 25 .479 6.5 15-8 8-17 L1 Jupiter 22 26 .458 7.5 13-10 9-16 L4 St. Lucie 10 39 .204 20.0 5-20 5-19 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 30 19 .612 - 14-12 16-7 L3 Delmarva 27 21 .563 2.5 18-11 9-10 W3 Hagerstown 25 23 .521 4.5 12-12 13-11 L1 Hickory 26 24 .520 4.5 10-14 16-10 L1 Greensboro 25 24 .510 5.0 10-13 15-11 L4 Lakewood 25 24 .510 5.0 15-13 10-11 W4 West Virginia 19 29 .396 10.5 7-14 12-15 L1 Lexington 15 33 .313 14.5 6-16 9-17 W1

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): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Follow Sunday'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_05_25_nasaaa_mrbaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_25_biraax_hunaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_25_breafa_dunafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_25_lwdafx_wvaafx_1

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Lindsay Gulin at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Mike Jones at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: LHP Zach Braddock at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 12:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... West Virginia: RHP Dan Merklinger at home vs. Lakewood (Phillies), 12:50 PM pre-game, 1:05 gametime Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Link while active, text follows: Power stumbles in loss to Lakewood By Doug Smock Charleston Gazette Staff writer Home field is supposed to provide an advantage, right? In the case of the West Virginia Power's 7-3 loss Saturday to the Lakewood BlueClaws, wrong. It was hardly the sole reason for the Power's 29th loss in 48 games, but the playing surface at the fourth-year Appalachian Power Park tripped up the home team. Literally. It happened in the fourth inning, as the Power was trying to rally from a 3-1 deficit. Cleanup hitter Steffan Wilson, celebrating his 22nd birthday, drilled a shot to the left-field wall for a one-out double. That brought up Caleb Gindl, who pulled a shot down the right-field line to drive in Wilson and make it 3-2. But Gindl mysteriously - or so it might have seemed to most of the season-high crowd of 6,204 - stopped at first without seriously considering a double. The rest of the story became evident, as head groundskeeper Brian Eiche was summoned. A piece of sod came loose about 6 feet in front of first base and just to the right of the runners' box - in other words, right in the path of a runner trying to round first base to take second. The grounds crew tried to reattach the sod, but to no avail. As Lakewood manager Steve Roadcap ordered his troops off the field, the crew removed the loose grass and regraded the spot with dirt. (And on Superpower Night, fans saw Batman taking a break from vanquishing the Joker to help out.) Play resumed after a 25-minute delay, and it looked promising for the home squad when Eric Fryer lashed a double down the left-field line. But Gindl was pegged at the plate on perfect throws by left-fielder Michael Taylor and third baseman Herman Demmink. But remember, Gindl could have started from second base instead of first. And the game could have been tied against a pitcher with a 4.96 earned-run average. "My legs just came out from under me; nothing you could do there," Gindl said. "I was thinking double all the way and they came out from under me. If I'm on second there, Fryer gets another hit, we get another run and it changes the whole ball game, you know, the momentum of the ball game.'' That was the Power's best chance to tie a game it trailed 2-0 after two batters. Zelous Wheeler laced a sixth-inning home run to cut the lead back to one at 4-3, but the Power never threatened again. Lakewood added a run in each of the final three innings. "We played catch-up all night," said Power manager Jeff Isom. "We just couldn't overcome their lead ... We were trying to tie it up all night and they just kept adding runs. They're a good team." Power starter Roque Mercedes (1-4) gave up a leadoff single to T.J. Warren on an 0-2 count, and then Derrick Mitchell belted a home run into the left-field Fun Zone for the 2-0 lead. Taylor went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs as the BlueClaws rapped out 13 hits. The teams return to action at today, followed by an afternoon start on Memorial Day. On Tuesday, the teams play at 10:35 in the morning (9:35 Central) on a Grand Slam School Day. In the meantime, the grounds crew was working hard on that little area near first base. The park has been well-used during college baseball season, and faces a diet of nine high school games later this week. "Brian's done a great job on the field, and it was a situation where they tried to repair some worn-out areas," Isom said. "There is a whole lot of play, and the sod didn't take hold. The roots didn't take root, but it's something that happens and he got the situation fixed as fast as possible and it's playable right now." "We've got to understand: It's minor-league baseball and we've got a lot of prospects out there," Roadcap said. "One of my players rounded it [and slipped], and you could see where his feet were. But they did a good job and repaired it, and it was solid and playable after that." BRIEFLY: Roadcap, in his second year at Lakewood, was the pitching coach for the 1987 Charleston Wheelers, the first year of the city's South Atlantic League era. He also managed the Appalachian League's Huntington Cubs in 1990 and 1991. "The area's been really good to me and it's always good to come back," he said. ... Lakewood's starter was Jacob Diekman, who improved to 1-3.

Final: Lakewood (Phillies) 7, West Virginia 3 West Virginia Site Game Summary: BLUECLAWS PULL AWAY FROM POWER The West Virginia Power trailed all game and narrowed their deficit to one in the sixth inning of Saturday's game against Lakewood, but the BlueClaws scored three times in the final three innings to pull away with a 7-3 victory at Appalachian Power Park. Derrick Mitchell hit a two-run homer off Roque Mercedes in the top of the first inning to give Lakewood the lead. Jonathan Lucroy's groundout scored Eric Farris in the bottom of the inning to bring the Power within one. Mercedes retired eight in a row before Mitchell began a string of three consecutive two-out hits in the third and scored on Michael Taylor's first of two doubles to bring Lakewood's lead back to two. Karl Bolt began the top of the fourth with a base hit and he scored on Jesus Sanchez's single. Caleb Gindl singled to right field in the fourth inning to score Steffan Wilson, making it a 4-2 game. Gindl was held to a single because he slipped on a patch of grass that hadn't completely settled and he was not the first to slip on that patch of grass between first base and the first base coach's box. The game was delayed 24 minutes while the patch of grass was repaired. West Virginia scored their final run in the sixth inning on Zelous Wheeler's fourth homer of the season. Dominic Brown's sacrifice fly plated T.J. Warren in the seventh before Bolt scored on Brent Brewer's error in the eighth and Taylor drove in Lakewood's final run on a single in the ninth. Jacob Diekman (1-3) allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings to get the win while Ben Pfinsgraff (1) earned the save while tossing four scoreless innings in relief, holding the Power to just two hits and striking out three. Pfinsgraff has held the Power scoreless over eight and two thirds innings of relief this season. Mercedes (1-4) allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings and was tagged with the loss. The Power fell to 19-29 with the loss and the BlueClaws improved to 25-24 with the win. The BlueClaws have now won four in a row. While every Power player reached safely, Curt Rindal was the only Power player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. The Power will continue their four game series against Lakewood Sunday afternoon. Left-hander Dan Merklinger (0-3, 5.93) will get the start for the Power and the BlueClaws will counter with right-hander Chance Chapman (1-4, 3.22). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM (1:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score 6,204 in attendance hungry for some Power success; Brent Brewer's double "raised" his average to .216 and his OPS to .611 -- he does have more stolen bases (16) than errors (15), although there have been newspaper reports the Charleston faithful are getting a bit impatient after seeing the still-only-20-year-old Brewer for nearly a season and a half now; nothing horrible, but fans were salivating at the thought of the Bryson & Tyson Show (Rob & Nick) in the preseason, and it hasn't really been a show-stopper -- a reminder it's a big jump for non four-year college pitchers from rookie ball to full season; thankfully it's a split season in the Sally League and standings will be erased soon enough... West Virginia Game Log Caleb Gindl thrown out at the plate in the 4th on a relay throw, it was the second out, so that hurt...

Final: Dunedin (Blue Jays) 10, Brevard County 4 What a beatdown thus far -- 29-9 after three games... Brevard County Box Score Add two wild pitches and a HBP to John Axford's un-pretty pitching line, also Bobby Bramhall stranded three of Axford's baserunners; this staff is stressed now -- normally lights-out Bramhall's line is understandable given he threw three innings just three days earlier; yes, the Blue Jays' "Eckstein" that you've seen all week is rehabbing David; all three of Taylor Green's home runs have come in the last seven games -- that's huge, he doesn't need to be a 30-HR guy in the majors, but 15 would be nice -- Green and his .402 OBP with nearly more walks (26) than K's (28) in 165 AB's; Kenny Holmberg was hit by a pitch in the first and left the game in the 6th -- something may have stiffened up on him... Brevard County Game Log

Audio Alley: Nashville Pre-Game Audio Manager's Chat with Frank Kremblas Conversation kicks off with some Tim Dillard analysis... Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Pitching Coach Chris Hook: Go to the WUMP audio archive of May 24th, then to the 12:00 minute mark; discussion begins on how Mike Jones' starting role stretches out the bullpen, which I still don't quite understand...

Final: Nashville 11, Memphis (Cardinals) 4 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Laynce Nix photo, text follows -- Sounds Snap Skid, Pummel Redbirds 11-4 MEMPHIS - Enough was enough. After four straight losses to the Memphis Redbirds, the Nashville Sounds pounded out 11 runs and tied a season-high with 18 hits to thump their division foes 11-4 on a beautiful Saturday night at AutoZone Park. The Sounds also knocked a season-high five doubles to back starter Sam Narron (2-0), who threw his second consecutive quality start for Nashville since being called up from Double-A Huntsville. Narron threw seven innings and only gave up three runs to notch his ninth quality start in 10 outings this season. Nashville recorded four of their runs off Memphis starter Jaime Garcia (1-2), who has struggled against Sounds hitters. His first loss of the season came on May 19 when he gave up five runs in five innings at Greer Stadium in Nashville. The Sounds got to Garcia early with three runs in the first frame off three opposite-field hits. Laynce Nix got things started with a two-out single to left, and Brad Nelson followed with a walk. Eric Munson then continued his timely hitting with a two-run double to left-center field that scored Nix and Nelson. Munson has only six hits in his last 40 at-bats, but four of them have given the Sounds the lead in four separate games. Vinny Rottino added a run-scoring double of his own down the right field line that squeezed by Memphis first baseman Josh Phelps and brought Munson around to score. Memphis manufactured its first run of the game with the help of leadoff man Brian Barden. After leading off with a home run on Thursday and a single on Friday, Barden knocked a double off the left field wall to start things off on Saturday. Jarrett Hoffpauir laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, and Nick Stavinoha drove him in when he grounded out to first base. Garcia's troubles with the Nashville lineup continued in the top of the second inning when Adam Heether led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Narron. Callix Crabbe then singled up the middle, and Heether beat a strong throw from Colby Rasmus in center field to extend the Sounds lead back to three. After starting 1-for-12 upon re-joining the Sounds, Crabbe is now 7-for-16 in his last four games. Memphis responded with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning after Cody Haerther knocked a two-out double off the left field wall to score D'Angelo Jimenez, who had reached on a bunt single in the previous at-bat. After a walk drawn by Rasmus, Memphis nearly scored again, but Haerther was gunned down at home by Crabbe after Gabe Johnson singled to left field. The throw might have been a step late, but Sounds catcher Rottino blocked Haerther at the plate and made the tag. The teams exchanged scoreless innings until the top of the seventh when Nashville put four more on the board. Steve Sollmann started the rally with a bloop single to right, and Nix followed with a line-drive double down the right field line off Memphis reliever Hugo Castellanos. Nelson walked to load the bases for Munson who drew a walk on five pitches to force home Sollmann from third. Rottino followed with a soft liner to left field that scored Nix and kept the bases loaded for Brendan Katin, who nearly emptied them. He crushed a first-pitch fastball into the right field corner to bring Nix and Nelson around to score and move Rottino to third. The Redbirds brought in Matt Scherer to try to stop the bleeding after Castellanos failed to record a single out, and the big right-hander retired Heether, Narron, and Crabbe in order to end the inning. AUDIO: Brendan Katin Two-Run Double Castellanos pitched one-plus inning and gave up four runs off six hits and two walks to follow Garcia, who gave up four runs over five innings of work. Matt Scherer was the lone Redbirds pitcher to not give up a run after he pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Joe Mather, who came in to play right field during the seventh inning, belted a solo shot in the bottom half of the seventh inning to left-center. The longball was his 11th on the year and his ninth in the month of May, but his RBI total has only reached 19 because eight of his 11 homers have been of the solo variety. Memphis plated another run in the bottom of the eighth to bring the deficit to four when Hoffpauir led off with double and moved to third base on a wild pitch from Nashville reliever Steve Bray. Hoffpauir later scored on a groundout from Jeff Stavinoha. Unfortunately for Memphis reliever Jason Motte, the Sounds did not mail in the ninth inning just because they had the lead. The Sounds plated two more runs when pinch-hitter Mel Stocker knocked a single to left field off Motte with the bases loaded after singles from Rottino and Katin and a walk to Heether. After consecutive pop outs from Crabbe and Sollmann, Nix hit another line-drive double down the right field line to score Heether from second. Nix was 4-for-6 on the night with an RBI and two runs scored to raise his average above .300 for the first time since May 1st. Bray pitched one inning and gave up one run, and Mitch Stetter pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close the game for the Sounds. The I-40 rivalry continues tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. at AutoZone Park for the seventh straight contest between the two teams. Lefty Lindsay Gulin (1-4, 3.06) will toe the rubber for Nashville against right-hander Anthony Reyes (1-0, 2.31) for Memphis. Nashville Box Score What a season it's been for John Bradley Nelson -- on base five times in this game, now sporting a .323 / .429 / .525 line -- if you listened to Doug Melvin's two-part interview in Nashville that we've linked this week, then you know that Brad is effectively "buried" unless Prince gets hurt, but wow, what a two months it's been; more than half of Brendan Katin's hits have gone for extra bases; way to go, Sam Narron -- although the only softer tosser on the squad goes Sunday in Lindsay Gulin... Nashville Game Log

Good call, Jim! Thanks, my Power 50 compadre! It seemed pretty obvious, didn't it? What the Muscle Has Been Up To - Nashville Audio -- April 14 - Russell Branyan Game-Tying 9th-Inning HR April 19 - Branyan Hits Second Of Back-to-Back HRs April 26 - Russell Branyan Ties It With Homer May 9 - Russell Branyan Game-Tying Three-Run HR May 16 - Russell Branyan's Third Homer Of Night Wins It May 21 - Russell Branyan Two-Run HR

Some of What the Muscle Has Been Up To - Nashville Audio -- April 14 - Russell Branyan Game-Tying 9th-Inning HR April 19 - Branyan Hits Second Of Back-to-Back HRs April 26 - Russell Branyan Ties It With Homer May 9 - Russell Branyan Game-Tying Three-Run HR May 16 - Russell Branyan's Third Homer Of Night Wins It May 21 - Russell Branyan Two-Run HR