Jim Goulart

No one has to tell regular readers that I was Joe Thatcher's biggest "fan" on the forum, touting his accomplishments whenever I could, which was often, thanks to Joe's record. Always great to read that type of article, chills for sure.

Link while active, text follows: www.kokomotribune.com/spo...d=topstory Trade sends Thatcher to big leagues By PEDRO VELAZCO Kokomo (Indiana) Tribune sportswriter Picking up the phone never felt so good. Kokomo native Joe Thatcher was sitting in his apartment in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday afternoon relaxing after the Triple-A Sounds played a day game when he received the call. ?I was already at the apartment just watching TV and our manager called and told me I got traded to the Padres and was going straight to the big leagues,? Thatcher said about 90 minutes after the promotion. The former Kokomo High School basketball and baseball standout said the phone call was ?a shock. I didn?t see it coming at all. Obviously, my first phone call was to my parents. That?s the phone call you always dream about ? calling home and telling them you?re going to the big leagues. ?It was emotional and you think back to how it all started, back at UCT (local Kokomo youth baseball). My dad coached me. Everywhere I?ve gone, he?s always been. My whole family, they?re a true blessing and their support has been unbelievable. ?It was a great phone call to be able to call home and tell them I made it.? Thatcher was traded Wednesday afternoon along with two other Milwaukee Brewer farmhands to the Padres. That completed a whirlwind two years which saw Thatcher, a former Indiana State pitcher, rocket from playing in an unaffiliated independent league, to signing with the Brewers? organization and quickly climbing Milwaukee?s ladder. Now, he?s joining a big-league club. ?You always dream about getting that call,? said the 25-year-old left-handed reliever. ?That?s why I?ve been playing all these years. It?s surreal. It?s an unbelievable feeling; it?s hard to describe. ?I went undrafted. I always thought I could be successful, that?s why I continued to play, but you?re such a long way from it being in independent ball, but everything worked out unbelievably well.? Padres wanted Thatcher Thatcher was traded along with two other minor-league pitchers, Will Inman and Steve Garrison, to the Padres. In return, San Diego shipped veteran set-up man Scott Linebrink to the Brewers? bullpen. After Thatcher called home with the good news, word spread like wildfire around Kokomo. He said he received about 50 calls and 50 text messages in the first hour. Perhaps none drove the reality of the situation home more than a phone call from the Padres. ?I got a call about 10 minutes later [after hearing of the trade] from Kevin Towers, the GM of the Padres,? Thatcher said. ?He welcomed me to the team. They said they traded a set-up guy for me. They said I?m going to get thrown right into the fire right away. I told him I was ready for it.? The Padres lost at Colorado Wednesday afternoon before pulling the trigger on the trade. With the loss, San Diego stood at 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. Towers told The Associated Press that Thatcher was the player they were after. ?Thatcher is the one guy we hope will help us,? he said in an AP story. ?It?s an acquisition similar to the one we made last year when we got Cla Meredith. [Thatcher] hasn?t had a chance yet, but has a tremendous strikeout-to-walk ratio and gets left-handers and right-handers out. ?We had two or three clubs that came at us hard for Linebrink. Unless it was an overwhelming deal we couldn?t turn our head on, we would certainly consider it.? In 24 outings with Nashville, Thatcher was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA. He pitched 21 1/3 innings, allowing just 19 hits, five earned runs and seven walks while striking out 33. Used as a set-up reliever, Thatcher had seven holds and finished five games. Ready for the big leagues The Padres hadn?t finished Thatcher?s travel plans yet as of early Wednesday evening. He expects to fly out this morning because he?s supposed to join the team for this evening?s game at Houston. With the trade, his mind was torn between all that?s happened and what?s on the horizon. ?I just think back to all the places I?ve been and all the people I?ve met and I?m looking behind, but I have to look forward,? Thatcher said. ?I?m in a pennant race now with a major league team and they?re going to count on me to come in and produce right away. That?s a lot of pressure, but I love that kind of stuff. They have confidence I can get it done ? and help the Padres win a World Series. ?It?s going to be a whole new world for me. I have confidence in myself I can do it. Everywhere I?ve been, I?ve had success. For them to trade an established bullpen guy to get me, that says a lot. I want to produce and do well for them.? The way he got to the big leagues was a surprise. After two years with the Brewers organization, it was a shock to his system to find his path to the majors coming through another club. ?It?s bittersweet because I met everybody in the whole [Milwaukee] organization,? Thatcher said, referring to front-office people, coaches and players. ?I appreciate everything they?ve done for me. I enjoyed my time with them, but that?s behind me. I?m a Padre now.? The Padres play four games at Houston beginning today. Next week they host division rivals Arizona and San Francisco for three games each. The following week San Diego plays at St. Louis and Cincinnati. The Arizona games are important because the Diamondbacks are right behind San Diego in the NL West race. San Francisco, of course, comes with its own baggage ? Barry Bonds and his pursuit of the all-time record for home runs. ?That?s unbelievable ? I?m sure I?ll get a chance to face him,? Thatcher said. ?He?s obviously going for the biggest record in all of sports. If I do get to face him, I?ll try to do what I?ve always done.? When Thatcher suits up for the Padres, it will be his eighth cap since 2005, when he lined up for the River City Rascals. He?s made progress from independent ball, through the minors, winter ball and now the big leagues by being focused on the task at hand, not worrying about his next callup. ?I didn?t even really worry about it,? he said. ?I just wanted to worry about myself throwing well, and all that stuff is out of my hands. I was hoping for a September callup. I didn?t know if that was going to happen or not, but here I am.? Local players in the majors: Four Howard County players had made it to the major leagues before Joe Thatcher?s callup Wednesday. All four are former Kokomo High School pitchers. Player: Years, record Tom Underwood: 1974-1984, 86-87 Dan Dumoulin: 1977-1978, 1-0 Pat Underwood: 1979-1983, 13-18 Anthony Shumaker: 1999, 0-3

Video Report -- MLB Comes Down on Greer Stadium

Wednesday's Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with RHP Rob Bryson: Be sure you're on the July 25th archive, go to the 8:00 minute mark: web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp Bryson has been nothing short of spectacular -- 21.2 IP, 17 H, 35-to-5 K-to-BB ratio -- good news, Bryson becomes a starter on Saturday.

Helena Site Game Summary: Helena Drops Casper, Awaits Showdown with Great Falls HELENA--The Helena Brewers collected a season high 24 hits to defeat the Casper Rockies 17-7 on Wednesday night. The Brewers now await a three-game series with the Great Falls White Sox to determine the first-half winner. Casper took a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning, but Helena's offense suddenly awoke to grab the lead--a lead that would not be relinquished. Zelous Wheeler hit the first pitch of the night he saw for a solo home run in the second inning and gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead. It was the first hit of a solid night for Wheeler. He finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs. The Rockies touched Brewer starter Nick Tyson for four runs in the fourth inning. Wilin Rosario provided the big charge of the inning on a three-run home run. Much like Casper did Tuesday night, Helena found its swing as the game progressed. The Brewers scored six runs in both the fifth and sixth innings with four more runs in the eighth inning. The Rockies added three more runs in the seventh inning, but the Helena offense was just too much to overcome. Every Helena starter collected at least one hit with seven players recording multiple hit games. Kurt Crowell joined Wheeler with a 4-for-5 performance; Crowell also had a home run and four RBIs. Caleb Gindl went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to maintain his hold on the Pioneer League batting average lead. Eric Farris and Jonathan Lucroy also had solid nights with three hits, including two doubles each. Catcher Eric Fryer made his lone hit of the night count when he sent a three-run home run sailing over the left field wall in the eighth inning. On the mound Tyson earned his third win in as many starts. Tyson tossed six innings and allowed four runs on five hits. He also struck out six Rockies. Pitcher Curtis Pasma earned the save by pitching three innings of relief. Pasma struck out six batters, including the side in the ninth inning to close out the Brewer win. Helena (24-11) will have a day off Thursday before taking to the road to play the first of a three-game set 7:00 PM Friday (8:00 Central) at Great Falls (24-11). Both teams enter the series tied for the Pioneer League North Division lead. With just three games left in the first half the winner of the series will take the first-half crown. Helena must win two of three games because entering the series Great Falls holds the tie-breaker, which is head-to-head record; Great Falls leads the series four games to two. ***Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...607_01.txt Brewers back in the lead for 1st-half title By TOM COTTON, Helena Independent Record Sports Editor The two-horse race in the Pioneer League?s North Division will come down to a three-game series. The Helena Brewers routed the Casper Rockies 17-7 at Kindrick Legion Field and after the game got some good news. Orem downed Great Falls 7-6 in Utah giving Helena a one-game lead in the standings. The two teams will meet beginning Friday in Great Falls in a series that will determine the first-half champion. Whichever team wins two games in the series will claim the first-half title. ?We really haven?t talked to the team (about the series),? said Helena manager Jeff Isom. ?They are smart enough to know what is going on. It?s mano y mano so it will be a fun series.? Before Helena could look forward to playing the White Sox they had to take care of business against a Casper team that is the worst in the Pioneer League, but had beaten Helena on Tuesday night. For the first four innings Wednesday, they looked like they would turn the trick again as they held a 4-1 lead. Casper starter Jeff Fischer held Helena to just two hits over that span. A three-run home run by Wilin Rosario was the big blow that posted Casper to a lead. Then the wheels came off. A small adjustment by Brewers? hitting coach Paco Martin was all that was required to get the Helena bats on track. Isom said that Martin told his charges to not overswing and stop pulling the ball. After that, Casper had no answer for a Brewers team that scored 34 runs in the three-game series. Helena batted through the lineup in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings as they scored 16 runs over the final four times at bat. The most impressive offensive performance came from Zelous Wheeler. The stocky third baseman was 4-for-5 at the plate with 5 RBI, and three runs scored. He was one of two Helena players that were one leg short of the cycle. Wheeler needed a double to get the job done and Kurt Crowell needed a triple. ?I tried to stay back on the ball,? Wheeler said. ?I just let the ball come to me.? Wheeler?s offensive outburst may have also been due to a new shipment of bats he received recently ? a set of Diablo bats with which to torment opposing pitchers. He added that Martin?s advice helped him as well. ?A couple of times he got to two strikes and didn?t give in to their pitchers,? Isom said. ?He put some tough pitches into play.? Not to be outdone by the prolific Brewer offense, Helena starter Nick Tyson turned in a solid performance. Tyson was perfect through three innings, before giving up four runs in the fourth. He, however, came back to shut down the Rockies in the fifth and sixth inning before yielding to Curtis Pasma. Tyson upped his record to 3-0. Pasma pitched three innings, picking up the easy save. The Brewers will have an off day before the crucial series starts. Roque Mercedes has drawn the start for Helena and Juan Moreno will take the mound for Great Falls.

Link while actice, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds romp to win over Fresno Newcomer Gross has double, triple CHRIS GRAHAM Tennessean Staff Writer The Sounds wasted no time making sure they wouldn't get shut out this time. After failing to score in two of their previous three games, the Sounds put up three runs in the first inning and rolled to a 13-7 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies in front of 4,667 at Greer Stadium on Wednesday. "You're just going to go through stretches where you can't hit anything," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "Their pitcher left us some pitches to hit and we took advantage." That went for everyone. Gabe Gross, recently optioned to Nashville from Milwaukee, recorded his first hit with the Sounds and finished with a double, triple and two runs scored. Charles Thomas went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, and Andy Abad went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. "We just took the same approach as we always do," Thomas said. Of course, having Adam Pettyjohn (7-2) on the mound helps. The left-hander won his fourth straight decision by allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out five. With the victory, the Sounds maintained their grip on the Pacific Coast League American Conference. They led Iowa by five games before Iowa's late game Wednesday against Colorado Springs. "We proved we have the best record for a reason," said Pettyjohn, who played for the Grizzlies in 2004. "We have an experienced group that knows how to get things done." The two teams play again at 7 p.m. today at Greer. ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds get Gwynn back from Milwaukee Tennessean Staff and Wire Reports The Milwaukee Brewers optioned Tony Gwynn Jr. to Triple-A Nashville after activating outfielder Bill Hall from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Gwynn will not report to the Sounds until Monday at the earliest because his father is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. Gwynn was called up July 6 to fill in for Hall and hit .200 in 10 games, including eight starts in center field. It was his second stint with the Brewers this season. Sent packing: Sounds left-hander Joe Thatcher was traded to the San Diego Padres organization as part of a package deal. The Brewers acquired reliever Scott Linebrink (3-3, 3.80 ERA) from the Padres for three minor league pitchers. Also traded from the Brewers organization were right-hander Will Inman (Double-A Huntsville) and left-hander Steve Garrison (Single-A Brevard County). Thatcher was 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA in 14 relief appearances at Double-A Huntsville, and 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 24 appearances for the Sounds. Padres Manager Bud Black said Thatcher will join the team today in Houston. "Thatcher is the one guy we hope will help us," Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said. Don't I know you? The Sounds and Grizzlies are no strangers to each other. Sounds starter Adam Pettyjohn was making his second appearance against his former club Wednesday. In 2004, Pettyjohn made 21 appearances for the Grizzlies, posting a 3-6 record and a 5.42 ERA. Grizzlies third baseman Tomas de la Rosa played for the Sounds from 2002-04. Also, Grizzlies shortstop Luis Figueroa represented the Sounds in the 2001 Triple-A All Star game. Safety nets: Despite the Sounds posting second-worst batting average (.244) in the Pacific Coast League in July, some Sounds players have been hitting with consistency. Joe Dillon ranks third among PCL hitters with a .594 slugging percentage, hitting safely in 26 of his past 31 games. Andy Abad has gotten a hit in 19 of his last 23 games.

Another Nashville Photo Gallery from the Tennessean

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2007072531 Scout?s honor Hank Aaron?s son recalls his dad?s chase of Ruth?s record By Paul J. Nyden Charleston Gazette Staff Writer As the nation?s media focuses on the chase of his father?s famous home-run record, Larry Aaron is quietly spending the West Virginia Power?s current homestand behind home plate, sitting below the press box at Appalachian Power Park. With a stack of papers and forms on his lap and a speed meter in his hand, the son of baseball legend Hank Aaron watches every player on both teams, evaluating their potential as major-league baseball players. ?As scouts, we look at the fundamentals needed to play the game ? how a player can run, hit and throw, and his power,? he said. Larry Aaron, now 49, is used to being around ballparks. He spent much of his childhood watching his dad?s Hall of Fame career. ?He always taught us baseball was just his job,? he said. ?He told us he was no better than the guy fixing the streets or digging a ditch.? Hank Aaron did his job rather well. When he retired from baseball in 1976, he had set 23 major-league records. One came in Atlanta on April 8, 1974. Larry Aaron said that was his ?most exciting moment? ? the day his father hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth?s long-standing career record. Larry also remembers the racist threats directed against his father as he was approaching Ruth?s record more than 30 years ago. ?He didn?t even talk about it to us,? he said. ?He probably talked to my mother and stepmother, but we really didn?t find out about it until he was real close to the record.? Larry had one brother and three sisters. ?Then, one day, someone called him and talked about kidnapping us,? he said. ?But he didn?t usually talk about those phone calls.? Hank Aaron hit his 755th ? and final ? home run at County Stadium in Milwaukee on July 20, 1976. Like his father, Larry declines to comment on Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants outfielder, plagued by allegations of steroid use, who had accumulated 753 career home runs as of Wednesday afternoon. Larry Aaron, who played professional ball from 1981-83 on Atlanta Braves farm teams in Bradenton, Fla., Anderson, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., began working as a full-time scout for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2000. For 11 years before that, he was a high school teacher in Milwaukee. ?Today, I?m on the road between 20 and 24 days a month,? he said. ?I live in Atlanta now. When I?m home, I go out and play golf or just relax. ?I evaluate players, do reports on them and send information to the main office. I look at everybody, at all the players on each team and do reports on each player.? During the spring and summer months, Aaron follows players on eight different teams in the Carolina League (advanced Class A) and 16 teams in the South Atlantic League (low Class A). ?This is a fun job,? he said. ?I have watched players develop in both leagues over the past two or three years, at the low-A and high-A levels. You see a lot of them make progress.? After helping the Indianapolis Clowns win the Negro League World Series in 1952, Hank Aaron was the South Atlantic League?s first African-American player. Playing for the Jacksonville (Fla.) Tars, he won the league?s Most Valuable Player Award in 1953. Hank Aaron went on to win National League MVP in 1957, when the Braves won the World Series. He appeared in 21 All-Star Games. Today, the Milwaukee Brewers are in first place in the National League?s Central Division. ?For years, Milwaukee was a last-place team,? Larry Aaron said. ?Today, the coaches and staff have brought a positive attitude to the players. ?Today, the players are closer than they were then. The only way to develop that is to have a good front office. And now the Brewers have an owner who wants to spend more money on the ballclub.? Aaron enjoys his job. ?I am with an organization that makes you want to go out and do your job,? he said. ?The Brewers have one of the best minor-league systems in baseball.? Since the Power, successors to the Charleston Alley Cats, began playing three years ago, two of its players have made it to the Brewers: pitcher Yovani Gallardo and third-baseman Ryan Braun. So far this season, five Power players have been promoted in the Brewers? minor-league system: centerfielder Darren Ford, first baseman and outfielder Michael Brantley, starting pitcher Mike McClendon and relievers E.J. Shanks and Patrick Ryan. Brantley plays for the Brewers? Class AA team in Huntsville, Ala., while the others are on the high-A team in Brevard County, Fla. Larry Aaron said his father, now 73, may soon retire from his job in the Atlanta Braves front office. ?He has already bought a house in Palm Beach, Florida, so I am not looking for him to stay in Atlanta much longer,? he said. Larry said he always remembers the advice his father gave to his children. ?The first thing he would say to us was, ?Get your education.? ? Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chris Dorst Larry Aaron, a Milwaukee Brewers scout and son of baseball great Hank Aaron, watches a West Virginia Power game from the stands at Appalachian Power Park. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/LARRY1.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2007072534 Chapman homers carry Power By Michael Polak For The Charleston Gazette Steve Chapman helped make the Power?s seven-game losing streak history Wednesday, as he went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs in a 7-5 victory over Hagerstown in front of 2,675 at Appalachian Power Park. ?I?m glad it?s finally over,? Chapman said of the team?s losing streak. ?It?s a big win for us.? Left-handed reliever Jose Romero, the third of four Power pitchers, improved to 3-0 with the victory, working two innings. Travis Wendte earned his fifth save with a perfect ninth. Chris Lugo (1-5) was tagged with the loss as the Power?s batting woes came to an end against Hagerstown pitching. West Virginia knocked out 10 hits on the night. Along with Chapman?s three hits, Taylor Green picked up two. The Power broke a 5-all tie with a pair of runs in the seventh on a two-out, none-on rally. Andrew Lefave started it with a single and Chuck Caufield also ripped a hit, bringing up Green. His high fly into the outfield dropped between three Suns players for a single to score both Lefave and Caufield. Power pitchers retired six of the next seven batters, locking up the victory and finally putting an end to the team?s season-high losing streak. Chapman got the Power, trailing 3-0, on the board in the bottom of the third with a leadoff homer. It was the Power?s first hit of the night. ?It?s always big to get the first hit,? Chapman said. ?It shows the other guys that the pitcher is hittable.? The Suns built their lead back up to three runs in the top of the fourth. Lindon Bond scored on a Martinez sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. The Power cut it back to one, scoring a run in the fourth on a Kenny Holmberg single and in the fifth on a Jimmy Mojica single. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth with one out and Green aboard after a leadoff walk, Chapman went yard for the second time in the game, giving the Power its first lead. ?I didn?t think either [of the homers] were going out,? Chapman said. ?The wind was coming in both times.? Early on, it looked like the Power was in trouble as Hagerstown raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second. Michael Martinez led off the game for the Suns with a single. Jhonatan Solano doubled to right, but Martinez was tagged out at the plate, with Caufield?s throw relayed home by second baseman Mojica. Joe Napoli tripled, scoring Solano and giving the Suns the early lead. Power starter Mike Ramlow gave up two more runs in the second. Jonathan Castro singled in Patrick Nichols and Solano picked up an RBI single, putting the Power in a 3-0 hole. Ramlow was pulled after just two innings, allowing six hits, three runs and walking one. Even after they lost the lead in the sixth, the Suns would not go quietly into the night. In the seventh, Martinez led off with a triple and scored on a Marcos Cabral sacrifice fly to tie it at 5. With the win, the Power improves to 16-18 on the second half and Hagerstown falls to 9-24. The teams continue their series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) at Power Park.

agent39, just asking if you find a few minutes each day to read the Link Report. We touch on a lot of the updates you provide here, but earlier http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

Baseball America's take: www.baseballamerica.com/t...64527.html

Final: Helena 17, Casper (Rockies) 7 Yes, enjoy the box score offense, but keep in mind that Casper is the lowest rung on the Rockies' chain. It's the near-equivalent of going up against the Arizona squad -- plenty of game details for you in the AM... Helena Box Score: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

RHP Harold Mejia, the 19-year-old converted shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a season-ending injury (undisclosed). He had made three appearances with the Arizona Brewers this summer, appearances that had been technically termed "rehab". Apparently things did not go well.

The Helena Brewers have asked that we let you know about the following unique auction. We'll post this in the Minor League Forum, close the thread, and then copy it on our "Trading Post" Forum for discussion. From 2005, it's an authentic Ryan Braun Game Worn Jersey, # 92. What makes it unique is that after Braun left Helena early in that 2005 season, his # 92 jersey was assigned to and worn by none other than Will Inman. That's not mentioned on the auction site, but the Helena staff will verify this for you if need be. Here's the link for the collectors out there: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...re%60j3601

The Helena Brewers have asked that we let you know about the following unique auction. We'll post this in the Minor League Forum, close the thread, and then copy it on our "Trading Post" Forum for discussion. From 2005, it's an authentic Ryan Braun Game Worn Jersey, # 92. What makes it unique is that after Braun left Helena early in that 2005 season, his # 92 jersey was assigned to and worn by none other than Will Inman. That's not mentioned on the auction site, but the Helena staff will verify this for you if need be. Here's the link for the collectors out there: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...re%60j3601

West Virginia Site Game Summary: CHAPMAN HOMERS TWICE AS POWER SNAP SKID Steve Chapman belted two home runs on Wednesday night at Appalachian Power Park as the West Virginia Power snapped their seven game losing streak with a come from behind 7-5 victory over the Hagerstown Suns. Joe Napoli ripped a two out, RBI triple in the top of the first inning to give the Suns an early lead. In the second, Jonathan Castro and Jhonathan Solano hit RBI singles to give the Suns a 3-0 edge. The Power got on the board in the third inning on Chapman?s first home run of the game. Michael Martinez?s sacrifice fly plated Lindon Bond in the fourth inning to give the Suns a 4-1 edge. Kenny Holmberg ripped a two out, RBI base hit in the fourth inning and Jimmy Mojica?s single plated Chapman in the fifth before Chapman blasted his second home run of the game in the sixth inning. It was his 17th of the season, a two-run blast that gave the Power the lead. In the seventh, Martinez began the inning with a triple and scored on Marcos Cabral?s sacrifice fly. Andrew Lefave and Chuckie Caufield hit back-to-back two out singles and Taylor Green knocked them in with a single to center field to put the Power ahead for good. Jose Romero (3-0) allowed a run on one hit and struck out four over two innings of relief to get the win, Travis Wendte (5) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the save and Chris Lugo (1-5) was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs on three hits in one inning of relief. The Power improved to 64-38 overall and 16-18 in the second half, while the Suns fell to 38-62 overall and 9-24 in the second half with the loss. Steve Chapman went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. His two home run performance was his second of the season. The Power will continue the four game series against Hagerstown Thursday night. The Power will start right hander Chris Toneguzzi (4-1, 6.27) and the Suns will counter with right hander Erik Arnesen (0-2, 7.52). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

St. Lucie Top 4th - Mike Nickeas grounds out, third baseman Mat Gamel to first baseman Chris Errecart. - Jonathan Malo pops out to first baseman Chris Errecart in foul territory. - Sean Henry singles on a ground ball to left fielder Cole Gillespie. - Emmanuel Garcia walks. Sean Henry to 2nd. - Dustin Martin singles on a ground ball to center fielder Darren Ford. Sean Henry scores. Emmanuel Garcia to 3rd. - Nick Evans singles on a ground ball to pitcher Mike McClendon. Emmanuel Garcia scores. Dustin Martin scores. Throwing error by pitcher Mike McClendon. - Pitcher Change: Kevin Roberts replaces Mike McClendon. - Dan Murphy singles on a ground ball to right fielder Lorenzo Cain. Nick Evans to 2nd. - Ambiorix Concepcion singles on a ground ball to third baseman Mat Gamel. Nick Evans to 3rd. Dan Murphy to 2nd. - Ender Chavez strikes out swinging. ***Mike McClendon took a shot off his left leg on that base hit and limped off the field. He hadn't pitched particularly well, but was forced to leave at that point with the leg injury. You can hear the call at the one hour, 20 minute mark of the July 25th archived audio. Something to keep an eye on: web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

The post-trade roster adjustments begin: Brevard County RHP's Robert Hinton and E.J. Shanks have been promoted to AA Huntsville. Hinton hasn't really done anything since his demotion to high-A to warrant a return to the Stars (20 hits in 12 1/3 IP), but Shanks' fast climb is certainly justified, as the submariner has been lights-out and takes his nearly 5.5 ground ball ratio to AA. Moving up to Brevard County from West Virginia are RHP Travis Wendte and LHP Brae Wright. Wendte has been super in relief at low-A, and as a 24-year-old, needed this next challenge. Wright (5.87 ERA) has had a few spectacular starts with the Power, but many more of his 21 starts overall have been middling to poor. He already has 110.1 IP under his belt, so he may need to be limited innings-wise by season's end. Somebody needs to go from AA to AAA, and Helena needs to send a couple of pitchers to West Virginia now. We should know more in the AM.

Petco Park and Will Inman, wow. On the flip side for the Inman family, you won't find a Padresfan.net out there. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

Final: West Virginia 7, Hagerstown (Nationals) 5 West Virginia Box Score: Steve Chapman two home runs, now with 17; Taylor Green another nice game -- details from Power site soon with newspaper reports in the AM; bullpen won this game, especially a career-best outing from RHP Jared Sutton... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 10, Brevard County 2 Brevard County Box Score: Mike McClendon's up to 112 innings now -- no excuses, just sayin'; Manatees 10th in the 12-team league in drawing walks -- none again tonight... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

Say hello to a one-game lead in the loss column.

Dunn wasn't even thinking about second base -- no way Prince should just be on first.

"We think this is a great deal," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "This is one [deal] we said we just can't pass up." Those better be 30 or so beautiful innings Mr. Linebrink gives the Crew. Ugh.

Is a lefty coming in? Braun to PH, Graffy to LF?