Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: newsok.com/article/3078449 Nix awaits chance for big-league return By Scott Wright Daily Oklahoman Staff Writer Nashville Sounds outfielder Laynce Nix has found himself in an unfamiliar situation. Triple-A baseball was the step Nix skipped on his initial ascent to the major leagues. Now, after working through multiple injuries and a trade in the last two seasons, he's in the position dozens of other Triple-A players are mired in: waiting for a big-league opportunity. Once the jewel of the Texas Rangers farm system, Nix was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers organization last July 28 as part of the deal that brought Carlos Lee and current RedHawk Nelson Cruz to the Rangers. On Friday night, the 26-year-old Nix batted third and started in center field ? the position vacated earlier in the day when the Brewers recalled Tony Gwynn Jr. ? for the Sounds in a 5-4 win over the RedHawks at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. There's not much argument that Nix will be back in the big leagues soon. The only question might be with whom. The Brewers field a fairly young roster, and they're solid in the power categories ? the strength of Nix's game ? ranking second in the majors with 117 home runs. "Laynce just needs to catch a break, either with Milwaukee or another big-league club,? Sounds hitting coach and acting manager Harry Spilman said. "He's a big-league player, so it's just a matter of time before he'll get back.? Nix felt he had a shot at making the Brewers roster out of spring training until an oblique injury on March 29 put him out of action for six weeks. "So I've been kind of stuck here for a little while,? Nix said of his Triple-A stint. "They're doing good (in Milwaukee). I'm trying to just get right and make a run up there in the second half. "It's a battle every day to stay positive and get after it and be ready for an opportunity when it comes.? RedHawks manager Bobby Jones, who managed Nix briefly in 2005 during his rehabilitation stint in Oklahoma City, still sees big-league potential in the youngster. "It looks like he's back on track,? Jones said. "He'll be back up with somebody.? Defense hasn't held him back. Nix can play any outfield spot. He ran down a deep fly ball in the right-center field gap Friday night and earlier in the series, he fired a perfect throw from right field to third base to cut down a RedHawk base runner. But Nix is coming to understand the business of Triple-A baseball. "It's the same situation for a lot of the guys over on the Oklahoma team, too ? a lot of guys that are ready to play in the big leagues,? he said. "It's just a matter of staying on top of your business and being ready for that chance.?

Standings through Friday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 53 35 .602 - 29-13 24-22 W2 Iowa 48 40 .545 5.0 27-19 21-21 W2 Omaha 40 49 .449 13.5 27-16 13-33 L4 Memphis 38 51 .427 15.5 20-26 18-25 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 12 7 .632 - 6-4 6-3 W2 Tennessee 10 9 .526 2.0 7-3 3-6 L1 Carolina 8 11 .421 4.0 5-4 3-7 L1 Huntsville 8 11 .421 4.0 4-5 4-6 W1 West Tenn 6 13 .316 6.0 5-5 1-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 9 5 .643 - 4-4 5-1 W2 Brevard County 9 6 .600 0.5 3-2 6-4 W1 St. Lucie 7 7 .500 2.0 3-4 4-3 W2 Jupiter 6 8 .429 3.0 4-3 2-5 L1 Daytona 6 10 .375 4.0 5-6 1-4 L2 Vero Beach 3 12 .200 6.5 1-5 2-7 L12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 10 5 .667 - 5-1 5-4 L2 Lakewood 10 5 .667 - 7-2 3-3 W2 West Virginia 9 7 .563 1.5 5-3 4-4 W2 Hickory 8 8 .500 2.5 5-5 3-3 L1 Delmarva 7 8 .467 3.0 2-4 5-4 W3 Lexington 6 10 .375 4.5 5-3 1-7 W3 Greensboro 5 11 .313 5.5 4-4 1-7 W1 Hagerstown 3 12 .200 7.0 3-6 0-6 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 11 7 .611 - 7-3 4-4 W4 Helena 11 7 .611 - 3-5 8-2 W3 Billings 7 11 .389 4.0 4-5 3-6 L5 Missoula 7 11 .389 4.0 4-5 3-6 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 10 2 .833 - 8-0 2-2 W5 AZL Mariners 9 3 .750 1.0 4-1 5-2 L2 AZL Padres 7 5 .583 3.0 4-2 3-3 W3 AZL Cubs 6 6 .500 4.0 4-3 2-3 L1 AZL Rangers 6 6 .500 4.0 2-3 4-3 L1 AZL Giants 5 7 .417 5.0 3-3 2-4 L1 AZL Brewers 4 8 .333 6.0 1-5 3-3 W1 AZL Royals 4 8 .333 6.0 3-3 1-5 W1 AZL Athletics 3 9 .250 7.0 2-3 1-6 L3

Link while active (includes photo of Manatees' GM Buck Rogers), text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...002/SPORTS Manatees receive a boost from fans Booster club's return a treat for Brevard County players BY JIM CAWLEY FLORIDA TODAY VIERA - Lori Brown admits she always wanted a bunch of kids. In a way, she is getting that wish six months out of the year. The Palm Bay mother of one, along with her husband, Rob Brown, head the Brevard County Manatees Booster Club, which returned to existence this season for the first time since the late 1990s. "She's like the team mom," Manatees general manager Buck Rogers said of the third-year season ticket holder. The Browns and Lori's 9-year-old son, Shane, are a fixture at Space Coast Stadium for Brevard County home games. They also follow the team for several games on the road. "I'm constantly asked if we have a kid on the team," Lori said. "It's kind of like an extension to our family." With the encouragement and backing of the Milwaukee Brewers -- Brevard County's major-league affiliate -- Rogers had been trying to organize a booster club for the past two years. This season, the Browns and about a dozen others stepped up and answered the GM's call, providing items such as a lending closet -- featuring things like linens, dishes and towels -- team meals and event coverage. "I'm really proud of our booster club; they have really come together great behind the scenes," Rogers said. "It's a good start. We're going to grow this thing." Today, about an hour before the Manatees take the field for the first of two games against the Palm Beach Cardinals, a large food delivery will arrive at the Space Coast Stadium clubhouse, courtesy of the booster club. It's no surprise that the meals are always a huge hit with the players. "They have just been floored," Lori said. "They just eat it up because they don't have anyone doing that for them on a regular basis." With the exception of a few players who sign lucrative deals, minor-league players often times are just trying to get by; trying to reach their goal of making it to the big leagues. The players are young. They haven't been out on their own for long. And in many cases, they're still learning the language. The money they are paid usually is enough to pay for the most basic of living expenses. "You're going to share your meal money and make things stretch -- you're not eating steak and lobster every day," Rogers said. "Most guys are living the dream. My thing is, I don't want their dream to end on my watch. And I think the booster club is an integral part of that." Lori, who was born in Melbourne and graduated from Melbourne High, started attending Manatees games regularly in recent years and is now "totally hooked" on baseball. Although initially concerned about the time constraints of running the booster club, she has relished the role of leading the team's top supporters. "Just to watch them and to know what we're doing for them . . . it's a really good feeling," she said. "We know we're doing a great thing. Even if I don't want to keep the role as president, I don't think I'll ever stop being involved in it."

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Garrison upstages streaking Gamel By Danny Wild / Special to MLB.com Steve Garrison flirted with a no-hitter and Mat Gamel extended his hitting streak to 33 games Friday as the Brevard County Manatees blanked the Jupiter Hammerheads, 3-0. Garrison (5-4) did not allow a hit until James Guerrero doubled with one out in the bottom of the sixth. He ended up pitching a career-high 7 2/3 innings and gave up two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. The win was the 20-year-old left-hander's first in five starts since June 8. It may have been his best effort since allowing two hits over six scoreless frames for Class A West Virginia last Aug. 27. Lorenzo Scott Jr. tried to break up the no-hitter with a leadoff bunt attempt in the sixth, but Garrison threw him out to keep it alive -- briefly. Guerrero followed with a line drive to left, then singled again in the eighth to chase the New Jersey native. E.J. Shanks hit Kris Harvey but struck out Andrew Jenkins to end the inning. Garrison, the Milwaukee Brewers' 10th-round pick in 2005, went 7-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 17 games for West Virginia last season. Gamel stretched his hitting streak when he lined a two-run double in the first inning to give the Manatees a 2-0 lead. He later scored on Chris Errecart's single. The 21-year-old third baseman is three games shy of matching the longest hitting streak in Florida State League history, set by Joe Altobelli in 1951. Gamel is 7-for-18 in July following a month in which he batted .421 with 12 doubles, four triples, two homers and 20 RBIs in 26 games. Hammerheads starter Chris Volstad (7-7) allowed three runs on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in seven inning. It was his second loss in eight outings since May 22. Steve Garrison had just one win in his previous eight starts before Friday's gem. (Photo by Jerry Hale/MLB.com) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/07/07/EZjBvFDx.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2007070648 Jeffress back on track First-round pick stifles Asheville in 8-2 Power victory By Tommy R. Atkinson Charleston Gazette Staff Writer Friday night was important both personally and professionally in the young career of West Virginia Power pitcher Jeremy Jeffress. First and foremost was the fact the 19-year-old right-hander needed to get back on track. After reeling off four straight victories, the South Boston, Va., resident has posted an 0-2 record in his last two starts, both of the ugly variety. Secondly, Doug Melvin, the general manager of the parent Milwaukee Brewers, was at Appalachian Power Park and there?s nothing like impressing the boss who made you the team?s No. 1 selection in the 2006 June amateur draft. Jeffress didn?t disappoint Friday, leading the Power to a dominating 8-2 victory over the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists in a South Atlantic League game. A crowd of 5,197 attended on fireworks night. Jeffress (5-2) allowed an earned run on three hits in six innings, mixing in an overpowering fastball that regularly topped 90 mph with sharp curveballs and changeups. He struck out six, four of which had opposing batters watching the ball into the catcher?s glove, and walked a pair. In Jeffress?s last outing, he surrendered six earned runs on seven hits in four innings. Before that was a disastrous start in which he didn?t get out of the first inning, giving up five earned runs on four hits. Power pitching coach John Curtis, a former major leaguer, said it was beneficial in Jeffress?s development to work through his problems under the bright lights Friday. ?This is really a level where they?re meeting failure for the first time,?? said Curtis. ?They?re used to seeing a lot of swings and misses. He?s had to adjust to the fact [opposing batters are] going to lay wood on the ball, but you can?t be afraid of it. He?s not backed up an inch when that?s happened to him.?? The 6-foot, 175-pound Jeffress ran into trouble in the second and third innings, but navigated out of danger. Jeffress walked the first two batters in the second, but induced a groundout before fanning the last two hitters. In the third, Jeffress recorded the first two outs on five pitches before giving up a triple to Asheville?s Hector Gomez, then Daniel Mayora followed with a run-scoring single to hand the Tourists a 1-0 lead. After a balk moved Mayora to second, Jeffress didn?t get flustered and battled Asheville?s Michael Paulk before forcing a groundout on the sixth pitch to keep the inning from getting out of hand. Jeffress retired the final nine batters in order over his last three innings. ?It was an overpowering fastball early, but from the third on [it was] a mix of the curveball and changeup,?? Curtis said. ?His ability to mix [up his pitches] and take the pressure off the fastball I thought was exceptional.?? Andrew Lefave?s ground-rule RBI double in the bottom of third tied the game for the Power at 1-all. The Power plated six runs in the fifth, highlighted by John Alonso?s three-run double off the center-field wall, for a commanding 7-1 advantage. Power relievers J.T. King, Jose Romero and Matt Kretzschmar shut down Asheville the rest of the way, combining to allow just one run on three hits in three innings. Curtis said Jeffress?s career path to the major leagues is on similar track as that of former Power pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who made his major league debut last month with the Brewers after spending 2005 in Charleston. ?All the stuff is there,?? said Curtis of Jeffress. ?This kid can pitch.?? The Power (9-7) will play at the Lexington (Ky.) Legends at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) in the first game of a three-game series. After an off day Tuesday, the Power returns home Wednesday for a brief three-game homestand with the Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads. Power points The Brewers chose Power manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder in Major League Baseball?s Home Run Derby Monday. The competition will be televised live on ESPN from AT&T Park in San Francisco. Guerrero was Fielder?s hitting coach in 2003 at Class A Beloit (Wis.). ... Wheeler Bob was honored before Friday?s game as the second selection into the Power?s Wall of Fame. Wheeler Bob, who has been hawking his baseball wares in Charleston for 21 years, was presented with a plaque. The first selection was Rod ?The Toastman?? Blackstone. The team is planning to induct four more before the season?s end based on fan voting. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chris Dorst Power shortstop Brent Brewer fires to first to complete a double play over Asheville?s Mike McHenry Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. Power second baseman Jimmy Mojica backs up the play. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/dblplay.jpg

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....106/SPORTS Pitcher's attitude says a lot Commentary by JOE BIDDLE Tennessean Staff Writer R.A. Dickey never has passed up an opportunity to take the baseball, but even he had to admit what happened Thursday night in Oklahoma City was strange. Originally slated to start for the Sounds tonight against his old team, the veteran pitcher threw in the bullpen Wednesday and ran 30 minutes before Thursday's game. Then interim manager Harry Spilman asked Dickey if he could start the game. In two hours. After throwing 93 pitches two days before. "At least they asked; they didn't tell me,'' Dickey said with a laugh Friday, fresh from a 3-1 victory over the RedHawks in which he gave up only one run and four hits in six innings. "I felt like I could do it, and I did.'' I'm surprised they didn't ask Dickey to stay after the game and clean all the cleats in the clubhouse. He has been that kind of player. Anything that needs to be done, R.A. Dickey is the first to volunteer. Start, middle, long or short relief. Close? No problem. Arm of steel He was like that at Montgomery Bell Academy, as an overworked pitcher at Tennessee and into his pro career. "I've taken the ball at times when it might have been to a fault, but at the same time you are who you are,'' Dickey said. A first round pick of the Texas Rangers in 1996, Dickey's last-minute work Thursday night was on familiar turf. It was his first pitching appearance in a city where he spent parts of seven seasons. He holds virtually all Oklahoma City's pitching records. "That's a dubious honor, to be honest,'' Dickey said. "To lead a minor league team in every record, it's only because I have been there so long, and that's not real good.'' Dickey is like the character Crash Davis in Bull Durham, an 11-year veteran who wants one last shot at the big leagues. At 32 years old, Dickey was pitching Thursday against players he watched grow up. Knuckling under Dickey developed a knuckleball in 2005 and is just starting to get the confidence to throw the pitch on any count. He's had a few strong outings and is 6-4 with a 4.39 ERA in 12 starts and 94 1/3 innings. If he makes it back to the show, it will be with the knuckler. "It's taken about two years to get a grasp on this thing," he said, "but I'm really doing it.'' Dickey is smart enough to look at the parent club Milwaukee Brewers' roster and see a sea of pitching prospects. "I knew coming into this I was going to have to pitch my tail off," he said. "If I do that I think I'll be a consideration. If not, I've thrown well enough to be a consideration for someone else.'' In a game of give and take, R.A. Dickey will take the ball and give everything he has.

Link while active, text follows: Stars' bats come back vs. Smokies Huntsville defense also steps up in 5-3 victory By SKIP VAUGHN For The Huntsville Times, skip.vaughn@htimes.com It's an hour before game time Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville Stars left fielder Michael Brantley is sitting in front of his locker while a few other players mill around the dressing room. The memory of the previous night's shutout loss to the Tennessee Smokies lingers, but it's another night and another chance against the Smokies. "Just put the bat on the ball hard," Brantley says when asked his pregame thoughts. "Just try to hit 'em where they ain't." He did just that and the Stars beat Tennessee 5-3 before an announced crowd of 2,515. Brantley had an RBI hit, scored two runs and threw out a runner at home. His catch and assist completed an inning-ending double play in the seventh, one of the Stars' season-high four double plays on the night. "We had a turnaround from yesterday which is always a plus," said Brantley, who went 2-for-4. "And hopefully we'll go on and win the series." Adam Heether went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored two runs for the Stars. "It's always good for a team that only gets two hits the previous night to come back and rally," Heether said. Left-handed starter Derek Miller, making his Stars debut, went six innings with four strikeouts and allowed three runs, eight hits and four walks. Steve Hammond (4-7) got the win and Marino Salas earned his 15th save. "I think they did a very nice job," Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur said. "They made some quality pitches in some key situations. I thought Derek did a very nice job in his first game at Double-A." Stars manager Don Money credited both pitching and hitting for the win. Money will miss today's game because he's flying to San Francisco this morning to help coach the U.S. squad in the Futures Game on Sunday during All-Star weekend. "The pitchers held them down to three runs," Money said. "And we came back with the hitters and scored three runs (after trailing 3-2). So it was a combination of both." Heether slammed a leadoff triple in the second and scored on Brantley's single up the middle for the game's first run against Tennessee's Mark Holliman (7-7). Brantley advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on Carlos Corporan's sacrifice bunt and scored on Alcides Escobar's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Tennessee tied the score 2-all in the fourth on Matt Craig's two-run double. Gary Cates and Jake Fox both walked and scored on Craig's hit to center. Craig scored on Chris Robinson's double for a 3-2 Smokies lead. Heether got a leadoff single in the seventh and advanced to second on Brantley's bunt single. Corporan moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and Escobar singled home Heether for a 3-all tie. Brantley scored on Ryan Crew's fielder's choice grounder for a 4-3 Stars lead. Escobar scored on Hernan Iribarren's sacrifice fly. The Stars (8-11) and Smokies (10-9) are scheduled to play again today at 2:05 p.m. at Joe Davis Stadium with a "Rickie Weeks Bobblehead" promotion. Scheduled starters, both left-handers, are Huntsville's Sam Narron (3-6, 5.15) and Tennessee's Donnie Veal (5-5, 5.33).

Link while active, text follows: www.billingsgazette.net/a...ounded.txt Helena rocks Mustangs 14-8 to complete 3-game sweep By MIKE SCHERTING Of The Billings Gazette Staff The good news is the Cincinnati Reds have signed their supplemental first-round pick, Todd Frazier of Rutgers, and he's scheduled to join the Billings Mustangs today in Helena. The bad news? He's not a pitcher. The Mustangs' staff could use a boost after yielding double-digit runs for the sixth time in the last eight games Friday night. This time the Helena Brewers clubbed 21 hits - nine for extra bases - in beating the Mustangs 14-8 at Cobb Field and completing a three-game sweep. The numbers haven't been pretty the last two nights: Helena scored 29 runs on 40 hits. The Mustangs scored 22 runs on 27 hits the last two games, but all that wasn't enough to prevent them from losing their fifth straight. "The old saying in baseball goes that winning's contagious, losing's contagious, pitching's contagious, hitting's contagious," said Mustangs manager Joe Kruzel, whose club has dropped eight of its last nine games. "Right now we're just not playing very good baseball all-around." There's another number to consider. The Pioneer League reached the midway point of the first half of the season and the Mustangs find themselves four games out of first place in the North Division with 18 games to go. With three more games against the first-place Brewers starting tonight in Helena, the Mustangs feel there's plenty of time to right the ship. "We just have to play better, that's all there is to it," said Mustangs first baseman Michael McKennon, who had two hits and drove in two runs. "We've got a good team, it's just a matter of doing what we're capable of. We've just got to play. It's been a rough stretch." The Brewers struck early and often Friday night and it looked like the game might be a rout. But after trailing 6-0, the Mustangs put up four runs in the third and two more in the fourth to tie the score. Helena, though, answered right back with a three-run fifth for a 9-6 lead and scored four more times in the top of the ninth after the Mustangs were within 10-8. None of the four Mustangs pitchers escaped unscathed. Jeremy Horst, the second of the four, gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings to pick up the loss. Eric Farris drove in four runs for the Brewers, while Kurt Crowell and Mike Goetz both homered. Pitching help could be right around the corner in the form of Scott Carroll, a third-round selection from Missouri State who joined the Mustangs after signing with the Reds. But Kruzel said Carroll, who had a 2.93 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 89 innings at Missouri State, won't be ready for at least a week, possibly up to 10 days. "We're just having a tough time of locating the ball down right now," Kruzel said. "When you face good hitting teams - which Helena is a very, very good hitting team - they're going to make you pay for the mistakes you made. That's the thing we've run into is every mistake we make is hit extremely, extremely hard." NOTES: Both teams turned three double plays. ... Anthony Romero was the third pitcher of the night for the Mustangs, meaning he's been removed from the rotation. Luis Montano (3-0) will take his place. ... Kruzel said Frazier, a shortstop who hit 22 home runs with 65 RBIs at Rutgers, likely won't join the lineup until after Tuesday's off day. ... Infielder Eli Rimes had surgery Friday on a broken hand he suffered in Missoula. He'll be out four to six weeks. ... Kel Jones had three hits for the Mustangs. ... Brewers closer Rob Bryson was the only pitcher in the game not to allow a run. He struck out three in two innings to pick up his third save. PAUL RUHTER / Billings Gazette Staff Helena's Matt Cline throws to first base for a double play to end the first inning as the Mustangs' Brandon Menchaca makes a late slide into second base. http://images.townnews.com/billingsgazette.net/content/articles/2007/07/07/sports/local/20-pounded.jpg

Thanks, Boy Jeenius, for the first-hand report! Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with Assistant Director - Player Development/Training Center Tony Diggs: Be sure you're on the July 6th archive, then go to the 5:00 minute mark -- web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

I wonder if Luis Guerrero is related to Cristian/Vlad? He's from the same town in the Dominican. We checked with the Brewers, and it doesn't appear so. Nor Mike and Sandy, Brewer organizational coaches.

Final: Helena 14, Billings (Reds) 8 Helena Box Score: 40 hits in two games for the H-Crew; is this Arizona Rookie? 102 degrees in Montana; folks still can't touch closer Robert Bryson, shaping up as a nice DFE signing; remember how anemic these batting averages were after week one of the season? Jonathan Lucroy bringing back memories of Lou Palmisano's Pioneer League stint, on base five times; enjoy the linescores here -- web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1 Helena Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1 More DP fun: Billings Bottom 7th - Justin Tordi singles on a ground ball to left fielder Mike Goetz. Michael McKennon scores. Kyle Maunus to 2nd. - With Tyler Hauschild batting, Kyle Maunus steals (1) 3rd base. - Tyler Hauschild pops out to first baseman Eric Newton in foul territory. - With Michael Jones batting, wild pitch by Corey Frerichs, Justin Tordi to 2nd. - Michael Jones flies into double play, right fielder Kurt Crowell to shortstop Matthew Cline. Justin Tordi doubled off 2nd. ***We really hadn't provided any information on OF Kurt Crowell since draft day. Reader "molitor fan" gives us the following: Crowell, who helped Cal State L.A. reach the NCAA Division II Championships and a spot in the national semi-finals, hit .340 for the Golden Eagles this past season with 12 home runs and 57 runs batted in. Crowell earned first-team ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region honors as well as Gold Glove recognition from that organization. He also earned first-team All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honors.

These links will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally they are updated an hour or two prior to gametime, with Nashville's usually earlier: Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Nashville's games in Oklahoma this week are available for viewing via the MiLB.com video subscription, on a per-day basis if you wish: web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../video.jsp

Follow Saturday'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". 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: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 Helena: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Adam Pettyjohn at Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Sam Narron at home vs. Tennessee (Cubs), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime -- it's Rickie Weeks Bobblehead Day Audio link: www.huntsvillestars.com/ Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:00 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 NOTE: It's back to work for Kirk Agius and the Manatees broadcast team -- nice. West Virginia: LHP Brae Wright at Lexington (Astros), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp Helena: RHP Evan Anundsen at home vs. Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp Arizona: Idle

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MiLB.com: In the last 20 years, only five hitting streaks in all of minor league baseball have been longer than Mat Gamel's still-active 33 game streak. Those streaks are detailed in a chart at this link from prior to Friday's game: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Mat Gamel's hitting streak is now three games off the Florida State League record pace. (Photo by Jerry Hale/MLB.com) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/07/06/9xUAUlp9.jpg

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1260 Timely Hiiting and Bullpen Send Stars to Win Alcides Escobar knocked in two runs, including the tying run in a decisive three-run seventh inning, and the bullpen tossed three shutout frames in Huntsville?s 5-3 win over Tennessee Friday night in the third of a four-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars improved to 8-11 in the second half and 45-42 overall, while the Smokies dropped to 10-9 in the second half to fall two games behind North Division leading Chattanooga, which picked up a win at Mississippi. Adam Heether and Michael Brantley singled to open the seventh inning against Mark Holliman and advanced a base on Carlos Corporan?s second sacrifice bunt of the night. Escobar then singled into center field to plate Heether to get the game knotted at three, while Brantley advanced to third base. Pinch-hitter Ryan Crew hit a ground ball to third and Matt Craig?s throw to second base pulled Gary Cates off the bag, allowing Escobar to reach safely and Brantley to score the go-ahead run. Mel Stocker singled to load the bases and knock Holliman out of the game before a Hernan Iribarren sacrifice fly off Rocky Roquet completed the rally. Holliman suffered the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks, while fanning five. He had no-hit the Stars in his first start against them on June 21 in the first of a doubleheader at Smokies Park. Brantley?s run-scoring single and an Escobar sac fly in the second staked Derek Miller to an early 2-0 lead in his first double-A start. Tennessee took the lead with three runs in the fourth on a two-run double by Matt Craig and a run-scoring two-bagger by Chris Robinson. Miller allowed three runs on eight hits over six frames, while issuing four walks and striking out four. Steve Hammond worked a scoreless seventh to pick up the win and was aided by Brantley, who threw out Jemel Spearman trying to score from third base on a shallow fly ball to left field. The Stars turned a season-high four double plays, including three that ended innings. Jeff Housman yielded singles to Craig and Tyler Colvin to open the eighth prior to a sacrifice bunt by Issmael Salas, the fourth of the game for the visitors. Robinson grounded out to third on a fine play by Adam Heether that kept the runners stationary before Marino Salas retired the last four hitters to earn his 15th save of the season. The series wraps up Saturday afternoon with Huntsville southpaw Sam Narron making the start against Smokies? left-hander Donnie Veal. Coverage of the game begins at 1:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Final: Nashville 5, Oklahoma (Rangers) 4 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Joe Dillon photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2434 Dillon Powers Sounds To 5-4 Win Over 'Hawks OKLAHOMA CITY ? Joe Dillon homered and drove in three runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks on Friday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The win was the second in a row for the Sounds (53-35), who continue to lead the PCL American Conference Northern Division by five games. Oklahoma jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against Sounds starter Manny Parra, plating a single run in the second inning and adding two more in the third. Dillon brought Nashville within a run in the fourth when he slugged his team-leading 17th home run of the year, a one-out, two-run shot to left off RedHawks starter Eric Hurley. AUDIO: Joe Dillon's Two-Run HR -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-6.mp3 The Sounds pulled into the lead two innings later, taking a 4-3 advantage in the sixth. Callix Crabbe singled to open the frame and Chris Barnwell walked before both runners advanced to third on a Hurley wild pitch. Laynce Nix plated Crabbe with the tying run on an RBI groundout before Dillon pushed the Sounds ahead by a run when he followed with a sacrifice fly. Drew Anderson ripped an RBI triple in the seventh to plate Ozzie Chavez and increase the visitors? advantage to 5-3. The RedHawks made it a one-run game again at 5-4 in the eighth when Dave Matranga plated former Sound Nelson Cruz with a two-out single off Nashville reliever Tim Dillard. Oklahoma had the potential tying run on third base with only one out in the bottom of the ninth against Greg Aquino. Tug Hulett drew a one-out walk then moved to third when he stole second and catcher Vinny Rottino misfired into center field for a throwing error. Aquino recovered to strike out Jason Botts and Nate Gold in order to escape the jam and secure his first save of the year. Parra (3-1) earned a win for his third straight start after allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in five innings of work. Hurley (1-2) took the loss for Oklahoma after giving up four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. First baseman Brad Nelson went 1-for-4 for Nashville to extend his longest hitting streak of the year to 10 games, the Sounds? fourth double-digit streak of the year. The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. CT meeting on Saturday. Left-hander Adam Pettyjohn (3-2, 4.25) will take the hill for Nashville to face Oklahoma right-hander Mike Wood (7-1, 2.44). Nashville Box Score: Greg Aquino reminds us he's still around; www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: Manny Parra more trouble fielding (two errors) than pitching; Tim Dillard's doing fine with these multi-inning relief stints... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1 Continuing tonight's theme: Oklahoma Bottom 5th - Tug Hulett singles on a ground ball to center fielder Laynce Nix. - Jason Botts reaches on fielding error by pitcher Manny Parra. Tug Hulett to 2nd. - Nate Gold strikes out swinging. - Nelson Cruz lines into double play, first baseman Brad Nelson to shortstop Chris Barnwell. Tug Hulett doubled off 2nd.

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with All-Star Catcher Vinny Rottino: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-6.mp3

In progress: Helena 10, Billings (Reds) 6, after six innings It's 10:15 Central, this is your lone remaining audio choice -- we'll detail Nashville's win in a moment, so if the H-Crew hangs on, it's a very, very rare 7-for-7 organizational sweep tonight...

Final: Huntsville 5, Tennessee (Cardinals) 3 Huntsville site update soon... Huntsville Box Score: Solid and not spectacular in his AA debut, but Derek Miller's going to be pretty steady for the Stars; OF Mel Stocker has abandoned switch-hitting, batting only LH these days; Brendan Katin giving Brent Brewer a run for his money, now at 104 K's; Steve Hammond and Jeff Housman are pretty much southpaw relief twins at this point; Adam Heether has been fun to follow for weeks now, really fun... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Stars turn four double plays, two as detailed below... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Tennessee Top 5th - Mark Holliman singles on a ground ball to center fielder Mel Stocker. - Jemel Spearman singles on a line drive to center fielder Mel Stocker. Mark Holliman to 2nd. - Gary Cates out on a sacrifice bunt, third baseman Adam Heether to second baseman Hernan Iribarren. Mark Holliman to 3rd. Jemel Spearman to 2nd. - Derek Miller intentionally walks Jake Fox. - Matt Craig lines into unassisted double play, shortstop Alcides Escobar. Jemel Spearman doubled off 2nd. Tennessee Top 7th - Pitcher Change: Steven Hammond replaces Derek Miller, batting 9th. - Jemel Spearman doubles (10) on a fly ball to left fielder Michael Brantley. - Gary Cates out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Steven Hammond to second baseman Hernan Iribarren. Jemel Spearman to 3rd. - Jake Fox flies into double play in foul territory, left fielder Michael Brantley to catcher Carlos Corporan.

Final: Brevard County 3, Jupiter (Marlins) 0 Brevard County Box Score: Great night for Steve Garrison, his strikeout numbers have been down, so the seven K's add to the impressiveness of a scoreless stint; Manatees did all their damage in the first inning; Darren Ford three steals on the night; Mat Gamel, as noted earlier, eliminates the suspense early on to reach 33; web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_jupafa_1 Up and down the chain tonight, several non-traditional double plays, which we'll highlight: Jupiter Bottom 4th - Kris Harvey flies out to left fielder Freddy Parejo. - Andrew Jenkins walks. - Gaby Sanchez reaches on fielding error by first baseman Chris Errecart. Andrew Jenkins to 2nd. - With J. T. Restko batting, wild pitch by Steve Garrison, Andrew Jenkins to 3rd. Gaby Sanchez to 2nd. - J. T. Restko flies into double play, right fielder Lorenzo Cain to catcher J. Hopf. Andrew Jenkins out at home on the throw.

Final: West Virginia 8, Asheville (Rockies) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER USE SIX RUN FIFTH TO BEAT ASHEVILLE The West Virginia Power snapped a 1-1 tie with a six run fifth inning on Friday night and took the series finale with an 8-2 victory over the Asheville Tourists at Appalachian Power Park. Hector Gomez ripped a two-out triple in the third inning and scored on a wild pitch to give Asheville an early lead. West Virginia answered a half inning later on Andrew Lefave?s run-scoring double. In the fifth, the Power sent ten batters to the plate, and scored six runs on six hits to pull away. Brent Brewer hit the first of three RBI singles with one out before Chuckie Caufield and Andy Bouchie brought in runs with two-out singles. John Alonso capped off the inning with a three-run double off the wall in center field. Anthony Jackson ripped a bases loaded single to plate Asheville?s final run in the top of the seventh inning and Steve Chapman?s two-out double brought in Kenny Holmberg for West Virginia?s last run of the contest. Jeremy Jeffress (5-2) allowed a run on three hits and struck out five through six innings in another great performance to get the win, while Esmil Rogers (2-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing seven runs on ten hits over four and two thirds. The Power improved to 57-27 overall and 9-7 in the second half, while the Tourists fell to 51-34 overall and 9-7 in the second half with the loss. Brewer, Chapman and Jimmy Mojica all had two hits apiece for the Power. The Power will begin a three game series against the Lexington Legends at Applebee?s Park on Saturday night. The Power will start left hander Brae Wright (5-4, 6.04). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: When brent Brewer isn't getting on base, he's striking out (two hits, three K's, 111 K's on the season); such an encouraging stint in low-A for Jeremy Jeffress thus far... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Mat Gamel drives in two runs with a first-inning line drive double to left field. Yee-hah! 33 !