Jim Goulart

Rain delay to start in Jupiter, but once underway, it'll be LHP Steve Garrison for the Manatees. It is Manny Parra in Nashville. I'm thinking that after needing long relief men both Tuesday and Wednesday, the Brewers would have had Parra in Milwaukee today if Ben Sheets had somehow come up with a two-or-three inning stinker Thursday, further taxing the pen. Having cleared that potential issue, Manny pitches tonight in Oklahoma instead.

Welcome aboard to our new poster! Your exciting news for Mike was snuck into tonight's Link Report, and I made sure our Major League Forum readers knew as well by including it in the Prince HR Derby Thread, which you can find here: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...5799.topic I'm locking this thread so discussion can take place there, but welcome again and don't be a stranger when it comes to posting, particularly if you have connections to the Power as a friend or fan.

Final: Arizona Brewers 5, Arizona Cubs 2 Cubs lose! Cubs lose! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Arizona Brewer Box Score: Dominican RHP Luis Guerrero turned 17 two weeks ago -- check out that pitching line! While we're still waiting for Rolando Pascual, and Wily Peralta's hurt, maybe an unheralded gem has been uncovered, that'd be sweet; another 17-year-old, 3B Edgar Trejo, remains the most exciting positional prospect with a double, two singles, and a sac fly; Matt Whiteside two more base hits... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_cubrok_1 Arizona Brewer Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_cubrok_1

Mass, Inman's ERA is still 8+. While his outing did not suck, he has overall. "Settling in" may be a bit more optimistic than truthful at this point. I haven't commented on Inman specifically in a while -- where are you grabbing that comment from, Al?

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...ower-pick/ Brewer makes Power pick Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to Prince Fielder for All-Star Home Run Derby Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Kanawha Valley (W.V.)baseball fans will see a familiar face Monday night when they watch the State Farm Home Run Derby on ESPN. The Milwaukee Brewers have chosen West Virginia Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder during the popular competition, which will be part of the festivities at Major League Baseball's 78th annual midsummer classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The State Farm Home Run Derby is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (EDT). Guerrero called the honor "a blessing from heaven." "It's special," he said Thursday night, when West Virginia earned a 6-5 victory over visiting Asheville at Appalachian Power Park. Also in the eight-man field with Fielder are Florida Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who is the defending champion. Fielder leads the National League with 27 home runs. Howard and Cabrera have hit 20 and 17, respectively. The other five contestants haven't been determined. "My job is to serve up those steaks right there," said Guerrero, holding his right hand waist high. Guerrero was Fielder's hitting coach at Class A Beloit (Wis.) in 2003, when the super-sized slugger won the Midwest League's Most Valuable Player award after hitting .313 with 27 homers, 81 runs and 112 RBI. "I know him pretty well," said Guerrero, who also was selected to manage the Northern Division squad at last month's South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Rome, Ga. "He's a great guy. I want to thank him and everyone else for giving me this opportunity." Guerrero will travel to San Francisco on Sunday and return to Charleston on Wednesday, when West Virginia is scheduled to begin a three-game homestand against Hickory. Power hitting coach Corey Hart will fill in for Guerrero on Sunday and Monday, when West Virginia is scheduled to play at Lexington. Tuesday is an off day for the low Class A club. "I'm not 100 percent sure whether I want to be a manager in the future," Hart said, "but it has definitely entered my mind. I'm sure (this experience) will have a lot to do with my decision later in life." Hart was the hitting coach for high Class A Brevard County (Fla.) last season. He said he had an opportunity to manage the Manatees for six games. That is why he knows what to expect Sunday and Monday. "I'm going to be over there in the third-base coach's box," he said. "You're really running the game offensively over there. You're sending runners or holding them. It happens really fast. It's hard to make an adjustment." Guerrero has confidence in Hart, who has helped the Power (56-27 overall, 8-7 second half) post a league-leading .298 batting average. "All he has to do is follow my lead," said Guerrero, who led the Power to the Northern Division's first-half title with a 48-20 record. "Just follow my patterns. Don't change any strategies. Just continue to do things the way we have been doing things."

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...ower-pick/ Brewer makes Power pick Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to Prince Fielder for All-Star Home Run Derby Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Kanawha Valley (W.V.)baseball fans will see a familiar face Monday night when they watch the State Farm Home Run Derby on ESPN. The Milwaukee Brewers have chosen West Virginia Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder during the popular competition, which will be part of the festivities at Major League Baseball's 78th annual midsummer classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The State Farm Home Run Derby is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (EDT). Guerrero called the honor "a blessing from heaven." "It's special," he said Thursday night, when West Virginia earned a 6-5 victory over visiting Asheville at Appalachian Power Park. Also in the eight-man field with Fielder are Florida Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who is the defending champion. Fielder leads the National League with 27 home runs. Howard and Cabrera have hit 20 and 17, respectively. The other five contestants haven't been determined. "My job is to serve up those steaks right there," said Guerrero, holding his right hand waist high. Guerrero was Fielder's hitting coach at Class A Beloit (Wis.) in 2003, when the super-sized slugger won the Midwest League's Most Valuable Player award after hitting .313 with 27 homers, 81 runs and 112 RBI. "I know him pretty well," said Guerrero, who also was selected to manage the Northern Division squad at last month's South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Rome, Ga. "He's a great guy. I want to thank him and everyone else for giving me this opportunity." Guerrero will travel to San Francisco on Sunday and return to Charleston on Wednesday, when West Virginia is scheduled to begin a three-game homestand against Hickory.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...-birthday/ Caufield has 4 RBI on eve of birthday Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Chuckie Caufield turns 24 today. If the skipper wants to give the birthday boy a gift he really could use, West Virginia Power Manager Mike Guerrero should give Caufield a day off. The only problem is, Caufield wouldn't accept it. "I love playing the game," Caufield said Thursday night, when he picked up two hits and knocked in four runs in West Virginia's 6-5 South Atlantic League baseball victory over visiting Asheville. "I can play the game right now, and I need to make the most of it. "Looking down the road, you never know when it's going to be your last game. So, you might as well get out there and make the most of it while you can." Caufield is the only Power player to appear in all 83 games this season. "If you can play every day and you want to play every day, hey, we're looking for those kind of guys," Guerrero said. "Gamers are like that. You have to tip your hat to him. "I ask him, ?Do you want a day off?' He says, ?No, I'm fine. I'm ready to go.' So, I tell him, ?If you're ready to go, go get them. If you want a day off, let me know.' He works hard and he takes care of himself. It's paying off for him." Caufield ranks first in the South Atlantic League in hits (106), first in RBI (66) and second in runs (67). He has a .310 batting average with four triples, six homers and 20 doubles. He also has 14 steals in 19 attempts. "He's a sparkplug," Power hitting coach Corey Hart said of Caufield, a University of Oklahoma product whom the Milwaukee Brewers selected in the 39th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. "Your team is better with him in the lineup. So, it's good to have him in there as much as you can. We love him." The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Caufield arguably has been West Virginia's most consistent hitter this season. His batting average hasn't dropped below .300 since April 30 -- a stretch of 63 games. "He puts good at-bats together, and he hits the ball hard," Hart said. This is a point in the season when players often hit a wall, so to speak, when they are mentally and physically drained. Many low Class A players are in their first full-season leagues, and the grind since April can take a toll. Caufield, however, refuses to use that as an excuse. "I was always raised to find a way to get the job done no matter what," said Caufield, who is from Ada, Okla. "Even if they cut off both of my arms, I have a task to do and I need to find a way to get it done. That's just the way I look at it." Among the Appalachian Power Park crowd of 3,567 were the All-Star outfielder's parents, Charles and Annette Caufield, who arrived in Charleston on Tuesday after driving more than 1,100 miles and 14 hours from Texas to watch their son play in person for the first time in his professional career. "It's the greatest feeling in the world," said Caufield, whose mom made his favorite meal -- pork chops with a baked potato and corn on the cob -- for him Wednesday. "It's a special opportunity for me to play in front of my parents." The Caufields saw their son snap a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run homer off Asheville starter Simon Ferrer, a right-hander whose specialty is the hard-to-hit knuckleball. "I was a proud papa when he was first born," his father said, "but I'm really proud right now." His parents' presence hasn't adversely affected Caufield, who is 4-for-11 with two homers, four runs and six RBI during their visit. "He's business as usual," his mother said. "He never changes. He's going to be serious and play hard whether we're here or not because he's doing something he loves." Designated hitter John Alonso also hit a two-run homer in the fourth, pushing the Power's lead to 4-0. Caufield drove in West Virginia's last two runs with a fifth-inning single and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly. The Power (8-7 second half) needed all of those runs to survive a late surge by the Tourists (9-6). Asheville scored one in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the eighth and two in the ninth before West Virginia closer Omar Aguilar finally thwarted the threat with a game-ending strikeout. Chris Toneguzzi (2-1) allowed one run on five hits and two walks in five innings to get the win. Although he surrendered two runs on one hit and one walk in one inning, Aguilar earned his sixth save. Ferrer (5-6) yielded six runs on eight hits and two walks in seven innings in a losing effort. The teams will conclude their four-game series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). West Virginia will start right-hander Jeremy Jeffress (4-2, 2.54). Asheville will throw right-hander Esmil Rogers (2-0, 2.66). Charleston Daily Mail Photos: Bob Wojcieszak The West Virginia Power?s Brent Brewer slides safely into home Asheville Tourist catcher Mike McKenry during their game on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. http://www.dailymail.com/images/070607Power1.jpg West Virginia Power second baseman Brad Miller fields a ground ball during the game Thursday against Asheville at Appalachian Power Park. The Power won the game, 6-5. http://www.dailymail.com/images/070607Power2.jpg

Nashville Media Notes: GWYNN RECALLED BY BREWERS: Outfielder Tony Gwynn was recalled by Milwaukee this afternoon to replace Bill Hall on the Brewers? active roster. Hall was placed on the 15-day disabled list today with a sprained right ankle suffered while trying to make an outfield catch at the wall in Milwaukee?s game in Pittsburgh last night. Gwynn batted .258 (17-for-66) with 10 runs scored in 16 games with the Sounds. No move has been made to fill his spot on the Sounds? roster. Nashville is one short of the 24-man active limit.

By the way, LHP Adam Pettyjohn is likely to start tonight for the Sounds, according to the same Oklahoma newspaper. The Nashville media notes indicates it'll be Manny Parra.

By the way, LHP Adam Pettyjohn is likely to start tonight for the Sounds, according to the same Oklahoma newspaper. The Nashville media notes indicates it'll be Manny Parra. RHP Chris Oxspring is starting on Sunday, he's scheduled to start the AAA All-Star Game Wednesday night as well, on what I imagine would be his "throw" day.

As first mentioned here in our Link Report -- very encouraging reports on last night's Nashville relivers as well, LHP Joe Thatcher and RHP Grant Balfour. Link while active, text follows: newsok.com/article/3077582 Short notice doesn't keep Dickey from getting win By Scott Wright Oklahoman Staff Writer R.A. Dickey pitched Thursday night on short rest and on short notice, but neither was enough to hinder the Nashville knuckleballer. Dickey, who spent the previous 10 years of his career in the Texas Rangers organization and parts of seven seasons with the RedHawks, pitched the Sounds to a 3-1 win over his former club Thursday before 8,285 fans at the Bricktown Ballpark. Dickey was scheduled to start Saturday night against the RedHawks but learned less than two hours before Thursday's game that he'd be pitching. He had gone through his usual between-starts routine, which included pitching in the bullpen Wednesday and some off-day running Thursday afternoon. "I ran 25 minutes ? went on my little track that I've gone around here for eight years,? he said. "I got back, and they told me I was starting after that. So I had about an hour and 20 minutes to prepare.? The unexpected start came when the scheduled pitcher, Manny Parra, was told he might be called up by the Milwaukee Brewers and was instructed not to pitch. "Every Triple-A team needs an R.A. Dickey, a guy that will take the ball any time and do a good job for you and keep you in the game,? acting Sounds manager Harry Spilman said. "He did just a great job tonight.? Dickey allowed four hits in six innings, throwing 54 of his 90 pitches for strikes. "I made an agreement with them that I'd start the game, but I just didn't want to have a pitch count,? said Dickey, who threw 93 pitches in his last start Monday. "I didn't want to be yanked out after three innings. If I was gonna go, I wanted to go.? Dickey, who uses the knuckleball and a fastball that tops out about 85 miles per hour, watched in awe as relievers Joe Thatcher and Grant Balfour baffled the RedHawks with fastballs in the mid-90s over the final three innings. "The heart of the order, Botts, Gold and Cruz, I bet collectively between those guys I threw 25 knuckleballs,? Dickey said. "So something coming in 94 is gonna look like 99.? Balfour struck out five batters in the final two innings for his fifth save, his fastball reaching 96 mph. "He was throwing gas and locating it, too,? Jones said. "That was the bad thing about it. He was impressive.?

Link while active, text follows: newsok.com/article/3077582 Short notice doesn't keep Dickey from getting win By Scott Wright Oklahoman Staff Writer R.A. Dickey pitched Thursday night on short rest and on short notice, but neither was enough to hinder the Nashville knuckleballer. Dickey, who spent the previous 10 years of his career in the Texas Rangers organization and parts of seven seasons with the RedHawks, pitched the Sounds to a 3-1 win over his former club Thursday before 8,285 fans at the Bricktown Ballpark. Dickey was scheduled to start Saturday night against the RedHawks but learned less than two hours before Thursday's game that he'd be pitching. He had gone through his usual between-starts routine, which included pitching in the bullpen Wednesday and some off-day running Thursday afternoon. "I ran 25 minutes ? went on my little track that I've gone around here for eight years,? he said. "I got back, and they told me I was starting after that. So I had about an hour and 20 minutes to prepare.? The unexpected start came when the scheduled pitcher, Manny Parra, was told he might be called up by the Milwaukee Brewers and was instructed not to pitch. "Every Triple-A team needs an R.A. Dickey, a guy that will take the ball any time and do a good job for you and keep you in the game,? acting Sounds manager Harry Spilman said. "He did just a great job tonight.? Dickey allowed four hits in six innings, throwing 54 of his 90 pitches for strikes. "I made an agreement with them that I'd start the game, but I just didn't want to have a pitch count,? said Dickey, who threw 93 pitches in his last start Monday. "I didn't want to be yanked out after three innings. If I was gonna go, I wanted to go.? Dickey, who uses the knuckleball and a fastball that tops out about 85 miles per hour, watched in awe as relievers Joe Thatcher and Grant Balfour baffled the RedHawks with fastballs in the mid-90s over the final three innings. "The heart of the order, Botts, Gold and Cruz, I bet collectively between those guys I threw 25 knuckleballs,? Dickey said. "So something coming in 94 is gonna look like 99.? Balfour struck out five batters in the final two innings for his fifth save, his fastball reaching 96 mph. "He was throwing gas and locating it, too,? Jones said. "That was the bad thing about it. He was impressive.?

Standings through Thursday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 52 35 .598 - 29-13 23-22 W1 Iowa 47 40 .540 5.0 26-19 21-21 W1 Omaha 40 48 .455 12.5 27-16 13-32 L3 Memphis 37 51 .420 15.5 19-26 18-25 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 11 7 .611 - 6-4 5-3 W1 Tennessee 10 8 .556 1.0 7-3 3-5 W1 Carolina 8 10 .444 3.0 5-3 3-7 W1 Huntsville 7 11 .389 4.0 3-5 4-6 L1 West Tenn 6 12 .333 5.0 5-5 1-7 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 7 5 .583 - 4-4 3-1 L2 Brevard County 8 6 .571 - 3-2 5-4 L1 Jupiter 6 7 .462 1.5 4-2 2-5 W1 St. Lucie 6 7 .462 1.5 3-4 3-3 W1 Daytona 6 9 .400 2.5 5-5 1-4 L1 Vero Beach 3 10 .231 4.5 1-3 2-7 L10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 10 4 .714 - 5-1 5-3 L1 Lakewood 9 5 .643 1.0 6-2 3-3 W1 Hickory 8 7 .533 2.5 5-4 3-3 W1 West Virginia 8 7 .533 2.5 4-3 4-4 W1 Delmarva 6 8 .429 4.0 2-4 4-4 W2 Lexington 5 10 .333 5.5 4-3 1-7 W2 Greensboro 4 11 .267 6.5 3-4 1-7 L1 Hagerstown 3 11 .214 7.0 3-5 0-6 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 10 7 .588 - 6-3 4-4 W3 Helena 10 7 .588 - 3-5 7-2 W2 Billings 7 10 .412 3.0 4-4 3-6 L4 Missoula 7 10 .412 3.0 4-5 3-5 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 9 2 .818 - 7-0 2-2 W4 AZL Mariners 9 3 .750 0.5 4-1 5-2 L2 AZL Cubs 6 5 .545 3.0 4-2 2-3 W2 AZL Padres 6 5 .545 3.0 4-2 2-3 W2 AZL Rangers 6 5 .545 3.0 2-3 4-2 W1 AZL Giants 5 7 .417 4.5 3-3 2-4 L1 AZL Royals 4 8 .333 5.5 3-3 1-5 W1 AZL Athletics 3 8 .273 6.0 2-2 1-6 L2 AZL Brewers 3 8 .273 6.0 1-5 2-3 L5

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 Friday'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_jupafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1 Arizona: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_cubrok_1

Friday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Manny Parra at Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Tennessee (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.huntsvillestars.com/ Brevard County: TBD at Jupiter (Marlins), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp NOTE: The Manatees have reduced their broadcast schedule -- today's link is for the Jupiter audio. West Virginia: RHP Jeremy Jeffress at home vs. Asheville (Rockies), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp Helena: RHP Jose Garcia at 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: LHP Mitch Stetter continues his rehab at the Cubbies' complex in Mesa, 10:30 AM local time in Arizona, 12:30 Central; never any audio for Arizona Rookie League games

You're thinking of Alejandro Machado, who the Twins took in the Major League Rule 5 this year, but he's out for the season with a torn right labrum. At least he's making the major league minimum this year.

EDIT: Updated to include Bramhall signing...

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

Link while active, text follows: host1.bondware.com/~cityp...he_id=1908 Sounds All-Star Oxspring is baseball advocate in Australia By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent The game of baseball may be growing internationally, with players from 17 different countries currently on big league rosters and scouts now regularly frequenting places like China for new talent. But for as popular as it has become worldwide, in one sports-crazy country baseball ranks below the likes of swimming, cricket, rugby and netball [yes, it?s a sport]. Just for a point of reference, former Milwaukee Brewer Dave Nilsson ? with his 105 home runs ? is probably Australia?s most-accomplished big leaguer. But when he was growing up, one young Aussie preferred America?s national pastime to all the other sports, and now stands on the verge of re-claiming a big league roster spot. That young Aussie is Nashville Sounds pitcher Chris Oxspring, who will start the Triple A All-Star game for the Pacific Coast League next week. Oxspring is in the eighth year of a pro career with its share of highs (a cup of coffee in the majors with San Diego in 2005) and lows (a so-so year in Japan last season). But the 2007 season has been perhaps his best yet. Oxspring has compiled a 6-5 record, to go with a 3.84 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 89 innings. It was those numbers which earned him the spot on the All-Star team. ?It?s the first time for me so it?s a big deal and a good honor,? Oxspring said. ?It?s always nice to get recognized for having a good year.? Oxspring picked up the sport in Australia as a kid because his older brother and cousins played fast-pitch softball. ?Ever since then I just stayed with it,? Oxspring said. ?It?s in my blood now and I can?t get it out.? Oxspring took a roundabout path to playing professionally stateside. He attended an independent tryout camp in Chicago eight years ago and caught the eye of scouts from the Padres. His minor league career began in 2000 and Oxpsring climbed up the proverbial ladder. He topped out two years ago when he went 12-6 with Triple A Portland to earn a late-season call-up to San Diego. After holding his own in five appearances, Oxspring was left without a contract the following offseason. That?s what led him to Japan, where he was up and down with the Hanshin Tigers en route to a 4-3 record and a 5.12 ERA. He signed on with the Brewers organization last offseason and has been Mr. Consistent for the Sounds this year. ?It?s not just one thing, it?s a combination of a whole bunch of different things,? the modest Oxspring said. ?Having good command and them just happening to hit the ball right at guys.? As he?s pursued a big league career, Oxspring has spent offseasons helping develop the game in Australia. ?If we?re in the top 20 [sports], we?re lucky,? Oxspring said of baseball in Australia, which has slowly grown. The national team got silver at the 2004 Olympics. Oxspring conducts training camps for kids and helps publicize the game in Australia. ?Out there it needs a lot more publicity,? Oxspring said. ?It needs to challenge some of the bigger sports. It?s just too hard. It?s kind of like when soccer was first starting to take off here.? But getting another Australian to the majors certain would help publicize the sport and Oxspring seems on the verge of making that happen. He isn?t currently on the pitching-rich Brewers? 40-man roster, but if the 30-year-old Oxspring continues pitching like he has then a promotion is inevitable. ?He?s a guy that shows the younger guys, ?I?m only interested in getting guys out and doing what I need to do to get better,?? Sounds pitching coach Stan Kyles said. ?If he continues to pitch like he has, with the big club in the hunt up there, they?re going to want to continue to improve their team any way they can. ?He?s one of the guys they?re looking at that hopefully can help them down the line."

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for R.A. Dickey photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2432 Dickey, Sounds Defeat RedHawks, 3-1 OKLAHOMA CITY ? R.A. Dickey turned in a solid start on two days? rest, allowing one run over six innings, to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 3-1 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks on Thursday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Sounds (52-35), who continue to lead the PCL American Conference Northern Division by five games. Dickey (6-4) filled in for scheduled starter Manny Parra, who was pushed back a day and will start on Friday against Oklahoma. The Nashville native allowed one run on four hits over his six innings of action to notch his seventh quality start of the year. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-June, Dickey has posted stellar numbers, carrying a 2-0 record and 1.69 ERA (6 ER / 32.0 IP) in five starts. Former Sound Nelson Cruz put the RedHawks on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out RBI single that gave the home club a 1-0 lead. Neither team scored again until the fifth when Nashville second baseman Callix Crabbe delivered a two-out, two-run single to center off RedHawks starter Mark Redman. Jose Macias and Drew Anderson scored on the knock to give the Sounds a 2-1 lead. AUDIO: Callix Crabbe Two-Run Single -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-5.mp3 Crabbe scored the Sounds? third run of the evening in the eighth when he doubled and later came plateward on a Joe Dillon RBI single to bring the score to its final 3-1. After Dickey departed the game, Joe Thatcher fanned two batters during a scoreless inning before turning things over to Grant Balfour, who notched his fifth save of the year by posting zeros and striking out five batters in the final two innings. First baseman Brad Nelson went 1-for-3 for Nashville to extend his longest hitting streak of the year to nine games. The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. CT meeting on Friday evening. Left-hander Manny Parra (2-1, 1.29) will make the start for Nashville and face Oklahoma right-hander Eric Hurley (1-1, 3.27).

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Chris Barnwell (Part 2 Of 2): www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-5.mp3

MiLB.com: Gamel extends streak in loss Mat Gamel extended his hitting streak to 32 games, but former Brewer farmhand Agustin Septimo's grand slam powered Jupiter over visiting Brevard County, 12-3, on Thursday. Gamel went hitless in his first two at-bats before homering to lead off the seventh inning. After grounding out in the fourth, the 21-year-old contemplated a different strategy for extending the streak. "I was actually going to lay down a bunt if the third baseman was going to give it to me," Gamel said. The third baseman is four games away from tying Joe Altobelli's Florida State League record set in 1951 and is 11 games shy of Brandon Watson's Minor League-best stretch set earlier this season. When his streak started May 28, Gamel was hitting .238 and in the midst of a 2-for-22 slide. "I was going through some crazy stuff at the plate," he said, admitting he was a little "hard-headed" at the time. "I was getting blown away by fastballs and was on time with changeups." But after a long talk and some extra batting practice with hitting coach Ken Berry, Gamel turned his season around. "From that day, I started trusting [him] like I should have from the beginning," he said. Gamel tallied 17 hits in the next eight games and is hitting .424 (50-for-118) over the 32-game span. In the sixth, Septimo tripled and scored on Andrew Jenkins' double and later capped the eight-run rally with a blast over the left-field wall. J.T. Restko and John Purdom III each drove in two runs and Jenkins collected two hits for the Hammerheads (6-7). Jupiter starter Brett Sinkbeil (3-4) surrendered three runs on four hits while striking out five without a walk in seven innings for the win Manatees reliever Kevin Roberts (3-2) yielded six runs on two hits and four walks while recording just one out in the sixth. Starter David Welch gave up a run on five hits and a walk while striking out two in 5 1/3 innings. Michael Bell ripped a two-run homer, his seventh, for Brevard County (8-6). -- Ryan McConnell/MLB.com

Final: Helena 15, Billings (Reds) 14 Link while active, text follows: www.billingsgazette.net/a...stangs.txt Helena outslugs Mustangs in 15-14 marathon By GREG RACHAC Of The Billings Gazette Staff Cobb Field turned into Coors Field Thursday night, and if you were a pitcher you did not want to be there. In a true old-fashioned slugfest, the Billings Mustangs and Helena Brewers combined for 29 runs and 35 hits. The Pioneer League marathon lasted just over 3 1/2 hours. In the end, though, the Brewers had a bit more muscle to outlast Billings 15-14 in front of 2,164 fans. It was a game reminiscent of the kind you'd see in the thin air of Denver's Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies and their respective opponents have been racking up runs at the Major League level for over a decade. Pitchers struggled and balls flew out of the park. Neither starting pitcher - Billings' Josh Ravin and Helena's R.J. Seidel - made it past the second inning. Seidel got the hook just two outs into the opening frame, while Ravin went a bit longer, throwing an inning and two-thirds. The Mustangs used a total of five pitchers in the contest. Ravin gave up six hits and five earned runs. Relievers Dan Zeffiro, Jeff Jeffords and Joseph Krebs (0-2) combined to surrender five earned runs through four innings of work. Helena used three pitchers. Brock Kjeldgaard entered in the first inning for Seidel and pitched 3.2 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned). Craig Langille (2-0) earned the win. The first inning lasted 45 minutes as the teams combined to throw 79 pitches and send 16 batters to the plate. Offensively, it was obviously a marathon. The Mustangs rapped out 16 hits. They sent nine men to the plate in two different innings and had eight others come to bat a different time. The team was led by Brandon Waring and Michael McKennon, who each collected four hits. Waring, the organization's seventh-round draft choice from Wofford, hit a two-run home run that hooked around the left field foul pole in the second inning as the Mustangs tied the game at 6. Waring's homer came on the heels of Brandon Menchaca's two-run blast in the first that helped Billings push four runners across the pate. But the Brewers, who collected 19 hits, were not to be outdone. In the seventh inning, Helena took a 13-12 lead on Jonathan Lucroy's monstrous three-run homer that cleared the Wendy's sign above the left-field wall. After the team came back to tie it with a run in the eighth inning, Helena got its winning tally off the bat of David Fonseca - a solo homer - in the top of the ninth. Lucroy, Lee Haydel, Steffan Wilson and Curt Rindal all had three hits for the Brewers. Lucroy finished with four RBIs, while Eric Farris and Caleb Gindl each delivered three. Kel Jones had three hits from his leadoff spot for the Mustangs. Menchaca, McKennon, Brett Bartles and Justin Tordi all drove in three runs for Billings. Ironically, the game was similar to that of another shootout between the same teams last July 24 at Cobb Field. In that contest, the Mustangs prevailed 14-13 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from shortstop Chris Valaika. That game lasted 3:39, four minutes longer than Thursday's. NOTES: Bartles, a 30th-round draft pick out of Duke, made his Mustangs debut as the team's designated hitter. ... In his limited time on the mound, Ravin's pitch count climbed to 73. ... McKennon hit his league-leading 10th double of the season in the fourth inning. ... Gindl left the game in the third inning after tripling to the gap in right-center field. Gindl was hurt while running the bases. ... The Mustangs and Brewers combined for six errors in Thursday's game. Helena Box Score: RHP Craig Langille allowed all three inherited runners to score, but survived well enough to earn the win and save the pen; crooked numbers throughout -- enjoy, at least on the batting side... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1 Helena Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1