Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: Sounds get experience on mound with Weaver By MIKE ORGAN Tennessean Staff Writer Major league pitcher Jeff Weaver, a right-hander who was with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2006 World Series, is expected to join the Sounds in the next two weeks. Weaver, 31, reached a minor-league agreement Tuesday with the Milwaukee Brewers. He scheduled to undergo a physical examination today and will sign a contract after that. He then will report to extended spring training and is expected to join the Sounds within the next 10 to 14 days. Weaver has pitched exclusively in the major leagues since 2000. He spent 2007 with Seattle and posted a 7-13 record and a 6.20 ERA in 22 starts. First hit: Omaha Royals designated hitter Brian Buchanan's first hit of the season was a two-run homer off the scoreboard Tuesday night. It gave Omaha a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning. Later in the inning, Omaha's Shane Costa hit his first home run of the season. It easily cleared the right-field wall. Former Vol on mound: Former Tennessee star Luke Hochevar started on the mound Tuesday night for Omaha. The right-hander, who brought a 0-1 record into the game, is Kansas City's No. 3-rated prospect. He was the first overall pick by the Royals in the 2006 draft. Hochevar struck out five, walked two and allowed four hits and no runs in six innings. Roberto Giron replaced him in the seventh inning. Olney back in town: Former Nashville Banner sports writer Buster Olney, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, threw out the first pitch for Tuesday night's game. Olney, a Vanderbilt graduate, was the Sounds beat writer during his time in Nashville in the early and mid 1990s. He also is a contributor to ESPN broadcasts such as SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight. Olney was in town as a guest speaker at the Nashville Sports Council First Pitch luncheon at Wildhorse Saloon. The entire Sounds team and Vanderbilt Coach Tim Corbin were special guests. Olney sat in three innings on the radio broadcast during Tuesday's game with play-by-play announcer Chuck Valenches. Extra, extra: The Sounds' Russell Branyan got his eighth extra-base hit in the fourth inning. Branyan knocked a double to the left-field wall. It was Branyan's sixth double of the season. He leads the team in extra base hits. He's everywhere: The Sounds' Steve Sollmann started at right field, the fourth different position he has started this season. He also has started at first, second and shortstop. Streaking: Sounds outfielder Brendan Katin enters today's game with the longest active hitting streak on the team. Katin, who was not the lineup Tuesday, extended his streak to five games with his run-scoring pinch-hit triple in the seventh inning Monday night. It was his second RBI pinch-hit in two games. The Sounds will play their first noon home game of the season today against Omaha. No. 2 for Nelson: Sounds designated hitter Brad Nelson hit his second home run of the year as the leadoff batter in the ninth inning. It came off Royals reliever Roberto Giron and cleared the left-field wall. "It just came a little too late,'' Nelson said. "That's what has happened to us a lot this year." Just in time: Giron walked Branyan later in the inning and was about to be pulled when the Royals ended the game by coming with their third double play of the game. It marked the second game this season the Sounds have hit into three double plays. They did the same in a series in Oklahoma.

Five additional photos in this Tennessean gallery Link while active, text follows: Sounds get sunk in seventh By MIKE ORGAN Tennessean Staff Writer The first fireworks show at Greer Stadium won't be until next month, but Omaha lit up the skies at least for one inning Tuesday night. After Sounds pitcher Chris Narveson held Omaha at bay for most of the game, the Royals hit two home runs and scored four runs in the seventh inning in a 4-1 victory in front of 1,752. Former Tennessee pitcher Luke Hochevar made sure the Sounds (2-11) never got into a rhythm offensively as he picked up his first win. Narveson (0-3) was just as effective on the mound for the Sounds for much of the game. He retired 11 consecutive batters heading into the seventh inning. But Omaha's Damon Hollins knocked a single to center field. Shortstop Angel Berroa then doubled and scored Hollins, giving Omaha a 1-0 lead. Narveson was then replaced by Steve Bray. Brian Buchanan hit a two-run homer giving the Royals a 3-0 lead. Shane Costa homered for a 4-0 lead. It's been a recurring theme for the Sounds, who have scored a Pacific Coast League low 35 runs and been held to two runs or fewer in seven games. "Our pitchers are doing a good job, our defense is coming around,'' Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "We've just got to start swinging the bats a little bit better. We're putting a lot of pressure on our pitchers when we're scoring only one run a game." Nashville's Brad Nelson broke up the shutout with a home run in the bottom of the ninth. "This has been frustrating - it's obviously not something the Nashville Sounds are used to,'' Nelson said. "If we get our bats swinging it's at the wrong time. Like with two outs or something like that."

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080416&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=804160444&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0 Tennessean Photo by Jae S. Lee Royals shortstop Angel Berroa, right, completes the first leg of a double play on Laynce Nix at second base Tuesday.

Link while active, text follows: Salome rejoins farm system after 50-game penalty By BRAD SHEPARD For The Times With talk of steroids and syringes saturating baseball, Angel Salome knows what some people think about him. He knows that no matter what he says or does, many won't believe that his 50-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs last season was an accident. With the problems baseball has endured, the Huntsville Stars' 21-year-old catching prospect can't blame the skeptics. "Even though I didn't do it on purpose, people aren't going to take it that way," Salome said. "I don't blame them. I just want to apologize for what I did, and I won't do it again. "I tell my friends all the time to be careful with all those products, because you don't know what's in them." Salome was hitting .318 for Single-A Brevard County last July when he was tested. Unnerved, the stocky catcher shrugged it off as no big deal and played that night. A few days later, he got a phone call from the organization telling him he was suspended. Then came the questions about what supplement he was using. "It was an energy drink," Salome said. "It probably had Ephedra or some amphetamines in it, and I didn't know that. "I mean, it wasn't on purpose. How am I going to do this on purpose when I know I can be suspended for 50 games? That doesn't make any sense." Just like that, Salome - needing defensive seasoning and enjoying a breakout year offensively - was done playing for the season. He missed the regular season, the playoffs and, most importantly, the experience. Salome had been warned of the danger of supplements many times before, but it obviously didn't resonate. Brewers director of player development Reid Nichols said the organization has seminars every year for players regarding banned stimulants. "It's hard for us to know everything about what happened," Nichols said. "It could have been accidental, or it could have been on purpose. It's not our intent to investigate that. We deal with the consequences, and it's our job to better educate the players so it doesn't happen again." Despite the education, some players still elect to try to get an additional edge. Even with the magnifying glass focused on baseball, it doesn't surprise Nichols that players gamble with questionable substances. "Look at the Olympics," he said. "Everybody knows they've gone to more stringent testing, and they're still getting caught." With the lax nature that the government polices the supplemental industry, Nichols said, anything can go into those drinks. MLB and NFL have agreements with EAS supplements to inform players of what is legal and what isn't. "You're responsible for what you take," Salome said. "You're the only one buying your energy drinks." Stars manager Don Money -- a longtime big league third baseman -- said he doesn't see the need in doing anything but eating right and working out. "Players today want to get that instant fix," he said. "When I was 21 or 22, we went out there and played 140 or 150 games and did it right. There were no energy drinks in those days." After serving the final four games of his suspension and going hitless in his first three games back, Salome muscled a single up the middle Monday. He added another pair of singles Tuesday and said he is getting back his timing. Though he is still having trouble with his throwing mechanics, he also has improved defensively. He's worked extensively with minor league catching instructor Charlie Greene since arriving early in Arizona for spring training. "He's come a long way since the first time I saw him in the fall of '04," Greene said. "Last year hurt (developmentally), but just like a kid, you can't just keep punishing him. Hopefully, he learned his lesson." Salome insisted he has, and he has already put the nightmarish 2007 season behind him. "I just made a mistake," Salome said. "I'm grateful to be here now, and I'm just going to take advantage of it."

Final: Asheville (Rockies) 9, West Virginia 0 Is it too late to ask for a season-long do-over? West Virginia Press Release: TOURISTS BLANK POWER The Asheville Tourists received seven scoreless innings from starting pitcher Cory Riordan and used a five-run eighth inning to beat the Power 9-0 at McCormick Field on Tuesday night. Asheville jumped on top early on a two-run homer from Darrin Holcomb in the bottom of the first inning. Brent Brewer's fielding error allowed Kevin Clark to score in the second. Helder Velazquez ripped an RBI single in the fifth inning to give the Tourists a 4-0 lead. An atrocious eighth inning added to West Virginia's misery. Pedro Lambertus and Jose Garcia walked five batters and allowed five runs. Velazquez scored the first run on a wild pitch before Kevin Clark and Everth Cabrera ripped two-run singles. Riordan (2-1) struck out ten batters in seven scoreless frames and allowed just four hits in a winning effort. Evan Anundsen (1-1) allowed four runs on five hits over five innings and struck out five in a losing effort. The Power are 3-10 after the loss and have now lost five in a row. The Tourists are 8-5 after the victory. Jonathan Lucroy was the lone bright spot for the Power, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. The loss marked the third time that the Power have been shutout this season. The Power will continue their four game series with Asheville Wednesday night. Right hander R.J. Seidel (0-0, 2.57) will get the start for the Power and the Tourists will counter with right hander Connor Graham (0-2, 5.87). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score Lee Haydel on twice more, doing some good things as of late; Power draws one walk while striking out 11 times; Caleb Gindl's OPS after 46 AB's is .396 (not a misprint); Brent Brewer's OPS is .376, Curt Rindal .344; thank goodness for Jonathan Lucroy, the lone true early bright spot among position player regulars... West Virginia Game Log

Final: Brevard County 6, St. Lucie (Mets) 2 Brevard County Box Score Six shutout innings from four relievers -- just wild enough (combined one hit allowed, six walks, six K's for the bullpen); six of the Manatees' ten hits went for extra bases, including two doubles for Taylor Green (.897 OPS) and a home run for Jimmy Mojica; Lorenzo Cain's struggles are getting worrisome... Brevard County Game Log A big Martin Maldonado pickoff from behind the plate quelled the Met rally in the 2nd...

Final: Chattanooga (Reds) 7, Huntsville 5 Huntsville Press Release: THOMPSON IMPRESSIVE IN LEADING LOOKS TO WIN Sean Henry drove in three runs and Craig Tatum finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in Chattanooga's 7-5 win over Huntsville on another brisk night Tuesday in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville dropped to 7-5 on the season and lost for the first time at home to fall two games behind North Division leading Carolina, while the Lookouts improved to 6-6. The temperature was 57 degrees at first pitch but dipped to 45 degrees by the time the game ended. Derek Miller and Daryl Thompson were locked in a pitchers' duel for five innings, with Mat Gamel's first home run of the season in the fourth inning giving the home team the lead. Miller left after his second five inning scoreless performance at home, allowing four hits, walking four and fanning two and was followed by Ben Stanczyk, who struggled mightily in his third appearance of the season. Henry and Tatum launched back-to-back home runs in the sixth to give the visitors the lead. Thompson, the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week, was taken out after 5 2/3 innings, giving up a single run on five hits while striking out seven. He has allowed only one earned run over 17 2/3 frames in his first three starts at the double-A level. Michael Griffin doubled in a run, Henry tripled home a pair and scored on a double by Tatum, who then scored on a B.J. Szymanksi single to complete a rally in the seventh that produced five runs, the most that Stars have allowed in any frame this season. Stanczyk suffered the loss after yielding seven runs on eight hits, including five for extra bases, over two innings. Danny Herrera, who had also not allowed an earned run in 10 2/3 innings entering the game, retired the first three batters he faced after taking over for Thompson before allowing five straight two-out singles in the home seventh that, coupled with two Szymanksi errors on the same play, produced four runs. Derrick Lutz came on and gave up an Alcides Escobar single before setting Gamel down on a ground ball out to end the threat. Lutz retired the Stars in order in the eighth and Josh Roenicke threw a perfect ninth to record his second save. The series continues Wednesday morning with left-hander David Welch taking the hill for Huntsville against Lookouts' right-hander Ramon Ramirez. Coverage of the game begins at 10:20 am central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score Ben Stanczyk has been scored upon in each of his three outings, obviously a very tough night for him; Stars turned three double plays, only one conventional; Matt LaPorta threw out a runner at the plate from right field in a very eventful but scoreless final inning for Derek Miller; Stars don't draw a single walk; Cole Gillespie and Angel Salome combine for five hits -- that's a start for them... Huntsville Game Log Chris Errecart thrown out trying for a leadoff triple in the 2nd -- ouch; ugly Stars 3rd inning after a promising start; Rusty Tucker allowed back-to-back doubles to begin the 8th, yet escaped the inning scoreless, without a runner being eliminated on the basebaths -- that's rare...

Final: Omaha (Royals) 4, Nashville 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Brad Nelson photo, text follows -- Sounds Fall To Royals In Series Opener, 4-1 NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds dropped the opener of a four-game series on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium, falling 4-1 to the division-rival Omaha Royals. The teams played scoreless baseball over the first six innings before Omaha broke through for four runs in the top of the seventh. Sounds starter Chris Narveson opened the contest by allowing only one hit over six scoreless frames, including retiring 10 straight batters from the third inning through the sixth, before running into trouble in the top of the seventh. Omaha rightfielder Damon Hollins opened the frame with a single before scoring when Angel Berroa followed with an RBI double that landed on the left field line, chasing Narveson and breaking the scoreless deadlock. Steve Bray took over on the hill and was greeted by a two-run Brian Buchanan home run that careened off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left field, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead. The blast, which came on a 1-1 offering, was the Royals designated hitter's first hit of the season. Later in the frame, centerfielder Shane Costa (2-for-5) touched Bray for another longball, a two-out solo shot to right that was his first roundtripper of the year. Sounds designated hitter Brad Nelson broke up the shutout in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff homer to right. The tater, off former Milwaukee farmhand Roberto Giron, was his second of the year. AUDIO: Brad Nelson Home Run Omaha starter Luke Hochevar (1-1), who starred at the University of Tennessee before being selected first overall in the 2006 MLB draft, worked six scoreless innings to pick up his first victory. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked two batters while striking out five. Giron earned his first save of the year for the Royals by working the final three innings, allowing one run on the Nelson homer. Narveson (0-3) dropped his third straight outing to open the year despite turning in a quality start. The southpaw allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six batters over six-plus innings of work. The teams continue the series with a noon matinee on Wednesday at Greer. Right-hander Richie Gardner (0-0, 0.00) will toe the rubber for Nashville in his first start of the young season. Omaha will counter with right-hander Kyle Davies (1-0, 2.25). Nashville Box Score Good for Brad Nelson -- he and Russell Branyan have been the only productive Sounds... Nashville Game Log

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewers Special Asst. To The GM Dan O'Brien

RHP Dane Renkert has signed for a second season of ball with Fargo-Moorhead of the independent Northern League. RHP Reggie Rivard, who pitched at three levels of the Brewer system in 2004, spent the 2005 - 2007 seasons with Edmonton of the Northern League. For 2008, the native Canadian has made his way to Calgary of the independent Golden Baseball League.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 7 4 .636 - 5-2 2-2 W1 Memphis 6 6 .500 1.5 2-2 4-4 L1 Iowa 5 5 .500 1.5 2-4 3-1 W1 Nashville 2 10 .167 5.5 1-3 1-7 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 8 3 .727 - 4-1 4-2 W4 Huntsville 7 4 .636 1.0 6-0 1-4 W1 Tennessee 7 4 .636 1.0 4-2 3-2 L1 West Tenn 7 4 .636 1.0 4-1 3-3 W3 Chattanooga 5 6 .455 3.0 2-3 3-3 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 8 3 .727 - 6-0 2-3 L1 Palm Beach 7 4 .636 1.0 3-2 4-2 L1 Brevard County 6 5 .545 2.0 1-2 5-3 W1 Daytona 6 5 .545 2.0 4-4 2-1 L1 Vero Beach 4 7 .364 4.0 2-2 2-5 W1 St. Lucie 2 9 .182 6.0 2-5 0-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 8 4 .667 - 5-3 3-1 W2 Hickory 8 4 .667 - 3-1 5-3 W1 Lake County 7 4 .636 0.5 3-1 4-3 W2 Delmarva 5 5 .500 2.0 4-3 1-2 W1 Hagerstown 5 5 .500 2.0 2-1 3-4 L2 Lakewood 4 7 .364 3.5 3-4 1-3 L1 West Virginia 3 9 .250 5.0 2-6 1-3 L4 Lexington 2 10 .167 6.0 1-7 1-3 L6

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 Tuesday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log" or "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_omaaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_cngaax_hunaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_sluafa_breafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_wvaafx_ashafx_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 5:40 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Chattanooga (Reds), 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: LHP Rafael Lluberes at home vs. St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio available for this Manatee series... West Virginia: RHP Evan Anundsen at Asheville (Rockies), 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): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Link while active, text follows: Lett trying to get struggling Power hitters to relax more in batter's box West Virginia Power loses fourth straight by Tom Aluise Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Trailing 9-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the West Virginia Power had virtually no chance of escaping its fourth straight South Atlantic League loss. Still, Power hitting coach Jim Lett liked what was transpiring at home plate. West Virginia's Lee Haydel was battling Greenville Drive reliever Chad Povich as if the winning run was in scoring position. Haydel fouled off pitch after pitch until he found one to his liking and drove it into the gap in left center field. Unfortunately for the Power and what was left of the 2,942 fans out for a chilly Grand Slam School Day game on Monday, Haydel's sinking liner was pulled in for the game's third and final out. "That's exactly what I'm talking about," Lett said of Haydel's at-bat. "You have to fight pitches off to get a good pitch to hit." In his first season on the Power staff, Lett appears to be in a particularly demanding job. The Winfield native has to help turn around a Power offense that is struggling early in the season. West Virginia ranks near the bottom in the 16-team Sally League in batting average, hits and runs scored. Power hitters are striking out more than all but a couple of teams in the league. Monday's 9-3 loss, which dropped the Power to 3-9, did have a bright side. West Virginia finished with seven hits against Greenville pitching. In seven of the Power's first 11 games, it had six hits or fewer. "They just need to settle down, do the little things and when they get a good pitch to hit, put a good swing on it," said Lett, who managed the 1990 Charleston Wheelers to the Sally League title. Lett said the Power's young players, all of whom want to start the season with a bang, are beginning to press at the plate. The deeper they fall into a slump, the less patient they are in the batter's box. Right now, Lett said, the team is swinging at too many bad pitches. Monday, three Greenville pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts. "Good hitters are relaxed up there," Lett said. "Their mentality is (that) the pressure is on the pitcher, not the hitter. "You're going to go through these spells," Lett added. "That's why they call it Class A baseball. We've all been there before." Second baseman Zelous Wheeler collected two hits for the Power on Monday and scored one of its three runs. Starter Roque Mercedes (0-1) took the loss for the Power. He went three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. "We've faced some pretty good pitching," Lett said. "That bunch (Greenville) was a pretty good staff." It won't get any easier this week for the Power. Tonight, West Virginia opens a four-game series at Asheville. Through Saturday, Asheville pitching ranked third in the Sally League in team ERA at 2.72.

Comments include those on Michael Brantley, young outfielder Chris Dennis, and a Lorenzo Cain birthday story

Link while active, text follows: Home's where the wins are for Stars Huntsville improves to 6-0 at The Joe after beating Chattanooga By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times During the past two games, the Huntsville Stars' vaunted offense mustered only two runs in two losses. Facing Sam LeCure was the cure. The Stars pelted Chattanooga's starting pitcher for eight hits and six runs in five innings on their way to a 6-5 victory in front of an announced crowd of 502. Huntsville stayed hot at home despite temperatures that barely hovered over 40 degrees, moving to 6-0 this season at Joe Davis Stadium. "(LeCure) had a hard time locating, throwing strikes and he had to rely on his fastball," said Huntsville second baseman Mike Bell, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. "He was struggling a little bit, and we jumped on him." The Stars needed every bit, too, thanks to Chattanooga right fielder B.J. Szymanski. The Princeton graduate went 2-for-3 with a home run, double and three RBIs, but Huntsville's early offense and late relief were too much. Patrick Ryan got the Lookouts in order in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season after fellow reliever E.J. Shanks struggled. Also, when Stars starter Steve Hammond failed to get out of the fifth, David Johnson stranded runners on second and third with one out, coming through with a pair of strikeouts to pick up the win. "Johnson came in and did a great job," Stars manager Don Money said. The same couldn't be said for LeCure. He entered with an earned-run average of 8.31, which actually rose. The damage would have been worse if not for two Stars - Mat Gamel and Bell - getting thrown out at the plate on 9-2-5 and 7-2 double plays. On top of those oddities, there were the back-to-back triples by Matt LaPorta and Bell in the bottom of the fifth, which turned a tenuous one-run lead into a 6-3 cushion. It was a Ripley's-Believe-It-or-Not hodge-podge of weird plays all night. "You just never know in this game," Bell said. "When you play as long as we have, nothing surprises you anymore." Huntsville struck quickly with two runs in the first, but the Lookouts (5-6) stormed back After they tied the game at 2-all in the top of the third, the Stars (7-4) answered immediately off LeCure. Michael Brantley - who was 3-for-3 with two runs, two walks and a steal - started the inning with a single up the middle and scored on a sac-fly by Chris Errecart. Chattanooga elected to walk LaPorta to load the bases and set up the double play, which they did - just not the way they'd hoped. Bell laced a single past the diving first baseman, but Szymanski threw out Gamel trying to score. Catcher Craig Tatum then fired to third to get LaPorta. The Lookouts closed the gap to 4-3 with Szymanski's home run, but the Stars tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. "This lineup has been held back the last couple of nights, and that was out-of-character for sure," Brantley said. "I don't know what it is about this park, but we just like it hitting-wise."

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Manager Don Money: Go to the WUMP archive, make sure you're selected the April 14th date, go to the 06:45 minute mark -- http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

Link while active, text follows: Katin proves to be good in a pinch By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Brendan Katin has been instant offense for the Sounds, extending his hitting streak to a team-high five games with pinch-hit RBIs in back-to-back games. His seventh-inning blooper to short right field in Monday's eventual 5-4, 12-inning loss to Iowa was in the glove of diving Iowa second baseman Eric Patterson - but came out when Patterson landed. Steve Sollmann scored from second and Katin wound up with a triple. In Sunday's 6-1 win over Iowa, Katin singled on the first pitch to drive in a pair of seventh-inning runs. With the three RBIs in the past two games, Katin - in his first season of Triple-A ball - leads the Sounds with six. No creatures of habit: For the first time this season, the Sounds utilized the same batting order in consecutive games. After scoring a season-high six runs in Sunday's win over Iowa, Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas used the same starting lineup Monday. The move didn't pay off early. Nashville trailed 4-0 before scoring three runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to force extra innings. Milestone: Russell Branyan's ninth-inning leadoff homer, which capped the Sounds' comeback, was the 200th of his minor league career. A seventh-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in the 1994 draft, Branyan - who moved to Franklin following the 2005 season - hit 30 or more minor league homers in three different seasons - 1996, when he hit 40 at Class A Columbus; '97, when he hit 39 between Single-A Kinston and Double-A Akron; and '99, when he hit 30 at Triple-A Buffalo. He also hit 37 total home runs in 2000, with 16 of those coming for the Indians. Thus far this season, Branyan has hits in 10 of the Sounds' 12 games and is batting .405. South for the winter: Kremblas has accepted an offer to manage the Caracas Lions of the Venezuelan Winter League following the conclusion of the PCL season. It'll be Kremblas' third winter ball stint, having previously coached in Venezuela in 2000 and managed in Mexico in 2004. Kremblas admitted he doesn't speak the native language, but said, "I'm taking a guy with me that knows Spanish." Heavy-hittin' Hopf: Catcher J.R. Hopf was activated prior to Monday's game after previously being placed on the disabled list at Double-A Huntsville because of back spasms. To create a roster spot for Hopf, catcher Martin Maldonado was reassigned to Class A Brevard County, where he began the year prior to his Saturday callup. Hopf, who hit .226 between Brevard County and Nashville last season, led the Sounds in the postseason with a .500 (5-for-10) batting average while driving in three runs. He came into Monday night's game in the 12th inning as part of a double switch and grounded into a double play.

Link while active, text follows: Sounds lose to Iowa in 12th By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Despite a major leaguer on the mound, the Sounds reverted to their season-long struggles Monday night. Yovani Gallardo, currently on the Milwaukee Brewers' disabled list after injuring his left knee a couple of months ago, made his third rehabilitation start of the year for the Sounds in the team's series finale against visiting Iowa. The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings and struck out seven - both season highs - but allowed four runs on seven hits as the Cubs won 5-4 in 12 innings to clinch the series. Nashville trailed 4-0 before scoring three runs in the seventh inning and tying the score on Russell Branyan's ninth-inning leadoff home run. However, a passed ball by Vinny Rottino on a strikeout by Mitch Stetter allowed Luis Figueroa to reach base in the 12th inning. Following a groundout, a walk and a pitching change, Jake Fox singled to right off Tim Dillard to score Figueroa. The Sounds lost for the 10th time in 12 games to open the season. "We made a mistake in the last inning," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said regarding the passed ball. "We missed a third strike, and the guy comes around to score. That's the ballgame." That was the only misstep by the Sounds' bullpen as five relievers held Iowa to just three hits. Early, though, the Cubs roughed up Gallardo. Iowa scored two runs in the second inning and two in the third, but Gallardo allowed just two hits in his final 3 1/3 innings. "He was rushing a little bit," Kremblas said. "I think he was a little anxious, knowing it was his last rehab start. Those guys aren't bad hitters. He was up in the zone and they pounded him. But he settled down and pitched well." What they said: "Two-out RBI: We had three (in the seventh inning) that got us back in the game; they had one that won it for them." - Kremblas. Today's pitchers: Nashville LHP Chris Narveson (0-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Omaha RHP Luke Hochevar (0-1, 3.97).

Huntsville Press Release: HUNTSVILLE BACK ON WINNING TRACK Matt LaPorta knocked in two runs and Michael Brantley reached base in all five of his at-bats, as Huntsville hung on to down Chattanooga 6-5 on a frigid Monday night in the opener of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville improved to 7-4, and 6-0 at home, and stayed within a game of North Division leading Carolina, while the Lookouts dropped to 5-6. Temperatures dipped to 45 degrees at first pitch and dropped significantly throughout the game and were augmented by winds gusting in from left field at about 20 miles per hour. Brantley led off the home first with a single, moved to second base on an Alcides Escobar base hit. The two pulled off a double steal and a throwing error by catcher Craig Tatum on the play allowed Brantley to score. Escobar then came in to score on a two-out single by LaPorta, who had one hit in 14 tries in the last series against West Tenn. Jose Castro's run-scoring ground out in the second and Michael Griffin's run-producing double in the third tied the game before the Stars tallied twice in the home third to take the lead for good. Brantley singled, Escobar and Mat Gamel walked to load the bases and Chris Errecart followed with a sacrifice fly that moved all three runners. LaPorta was given an intentional pass to reload the bases before Mike Bell singled to right to plate Escobar to make it 4-2. However, on the play, Gamel was thrown out at the plate and LaPorta was then cut down trying to advance to third to end the frame. B.J. Szymanski's home run in the fourth trimmed the Stars' lead to 4-3 and the Lookouts had runners at first and second with one out in the fifth when Huntsville starter Steve Hammond was taken out of the game and replaced by David Johnson, who fanned Eric Eymann and Szymanski to end the inning. Johnson worked a scoreless sixth inning to grab his second win of the season Hammond allowed four hits, walked five and fanned eight in his third turn of the season. LaPorta and Bell delivered back-to-back run-scoring triples in the fifth to give the Stars a 6-3 lead. Chattanooga starter Sam LeCure, who lost to Huntsville three times last year, was handed his first loss this season after allowing all six runs on eight hits, four walks and two hit batters over five frames. Brantley singled three times, walked twice, stole three bases and extended his hitting streak to five straight games. Szymanski's two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning cut the home team's lead to one before E.J. Shanks retired the side in order in the eighth and Patrick Ryan worked a perfect ninth to record his first save of the season. The series continues Tuesday night with left-hander Derek Miller taking the hill for Huntsville against Lookouts' right-hander Darryl Thompson. 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.

Final: Huntsville 6, Chattanooga (Reds) 5 Details form the Stars' Press Release in a bit... Huntsville Box Score Patrick Ryan closes it out 1-2-3, although one warning track fly ball was scary; Michael Brantley isn't even 21 years old until next month -- my goodness, he's so polished at the plate, only on base five times tonight; Dave Johnson with a very strong stint to get the win behind an uneven Steve Hammond; Stars struck out ten times but drew seven walks and two HBP's; Alcides Escobar, Matt LaPorta, and Mike Bell each reached three times; a struggling Cole Gillespie dropped to the 7th spot in the lineup -- yikes... Huntsville Game Log

Final: Iowa (Cubs) 5, Nashville 4, 12 innings Link for new Russell Branyan picture, text follows: Cubs Edge Sounds In Series Finale, 5-4 In 12 NASHVILLE - Iowa first baseman Jake Fox delivered a two-out RBI single in the top of the twelfth inning on Monday evening at Greer Stadium to give the visiting Cubs a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Sounds in the finale of a four-game series. In the top of the twelfth, Luis Figueroa reached with one out after Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino mishandled a swinging third strike and was charged with a passed ball. After a groundout and Matt Murton walk, Tim Dillard was summoned to face Fox, who ripped a 1-0 offering through the right side of the infield to plate Figueroa with the game-winning run. Cubs reliever Neal Cotts (2-0) worked two scoreless frames to earn the win for Iowa, while Mitch Stetter (0-1) took the loss after giving up the game-deciding run in unearned fashion his 1 1/3 innings. Both teams' first extra-inning contest of the year was made possible by Sounds third baseman Russell Branyan, who tied the contest at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth when he led off the frame with his 200th career minor league home run, an opposite-field solo shot to left off Cubs reliever Jose Ascanio. AUDIO: Branyan Game-Tying HR In 9th Branyan finished 2-for-5 with a pair of extra-base hits and has hit safely in 10 of his 12 contests this season while posting a team-leading .405 average. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo made his third rehabilitation start for Nashville while recovering from left knee surgery. He worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits while throwing 106 pitches (61 strikes). Four of the seven hits against him went for extra bases. Gallardo struck out seven and walked three batters. Through three rehab outings, Gallardo has an 0-1 record and 5.17 ERA (9 ER / 15.2 IP). Fox put the visitors up 2-0 in the top of the second innings with a towering two-run home run to right field off Gallardo. The blast, which scored Josh Kroeger, was Fox's third home run of the year. The Cubs added a pair of runs in the third against Gallardo on RBI doubles from Kroeger and Casey McGehee, doubling the Iowa lead to 4-0. The Sounds pulled with a run at 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out rally against Cubs reliever Les Walrond. Brad Nelson drew an inning-opening walk and Laynce Nix singled before the lefty retired the next two Nashville batters. Steve Sollmann, who had two hits in 23 at-bats to open the year, ripped a two-run double down the left field line to halve the Iowa lead. Brendan Katin followed with a first-pitch RBI triple that glanced off the glove of diving second baseman Eric Patterson in short right field, allowing Sollmann to make it a one-run contest. With his second run-scoring pinch-hit knock in as many nights, Katin extended the Sounds' longest active hitting streak to five games and registered his team-leading sixth RBI of the year. Iowa starter Mark Holliman worked six shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out six batters, but took a no-decision following the late blown save. The Sounds continue their opening homestand on Tuesday when they welcome the division-rival Omaha Royals to town for the 6 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Left-hander Chris Narveson (0-2, 4.50) will man the bump for the Sounds and face Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar (0-1, 3.97). Nashville Box Score Nice to see Brad Nelson with such a productive start, in right field in this one... Nashville Game Log Most of the Nashville losses, and there have been many, have been by multiple runs, this seems like the first "tough loss"...

RHP R.A. Dickey has been added to the initial post above, recalled to Seattle by the Mariners.