Jim Goulart

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

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log". 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_cspaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hagafx_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP R.A. Dickey at Colorado Springs (Rockies), 8:20 PM pre-game; 8:35 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Manny Parra at home vs. Mobile (Diamondbacks), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.huntsvillestars.com/ Brevard County: LHP Rafael Lluberes at Clearwater (Phillies), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime; the Manatees hope to avoid a four-game sweep Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp West Virginia: RHP Roque Mercedes at Hagerstown (Nationals), 5:25 PM pre-game, 5:35 gametime; odd scheduling -- this will be consecutive weeks with a four-game series at Hagerstown Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ NIX KNOCKS IT OUT IN STARS DEBUTThe Milwaukee Brewers handed us a win Monday night...... They sent five-year major league vet Laynce Nix to the Stars to rehab a strained oblique muscle, which has put him on the sidelines for the last first five weeks of the season........ In his 2nd at-bat on an 0-2 pitch, Mobile starter Chris Kinsey tried to sneak a fastball past him, and he lined it hard to right over the wall. It was a close call, but it stayed fair, and the Stars took a 3-1 lead in the 3rd. The attendance count was a whopping 701, beating last Wednesday's lowest figure of the season by three. In front of a front-office executive of the Midland RockHounds. Stars owner Miles Prentice sent him here in absence of Tom Van Schaak, who is having double-bypass surgery in New York. Tuesday, Prentice will be at Joe Davis Stadium on one of his infrequent visits, and it's safe to say, he'll probably be looking at another three-figure crowd...... But back to the game. Sam Narron, who had held opposing teams to two runs in 12 innings over his last two starts, got out of a 1st-and-3rd, two-out jam in the 1st inning, gave Mobile a 1-0 lead in the 2nd........ With one out, Jarred Ball, a .158 hitter, hit an 0-2 weak grounder up the middle that got past Narron's glove. Yohannis Perez made a superlative effort to cut off the ball and wing it to first, but Ball, who is fast, beat out the cheap hit....... A stolen base on a 1-1 pitch to Ronnie Merrill, who was with Mobile for the 2004-05 seasons, followed, then Merrill was hit with an inside pitch to put him on. A hit-and-run grounder moved the runners into scoring position....... Emilio Bonifacio then, on 0-and-1, hit what looked like an inning-ending routine grounder to Perez, but he muffed it, allowing Ball to score. Narron had his 3-1 lead for as long as the 5th inning, when Mobile went ahead for good....... It was set up by a bleeder to the right side for a leadoff single by catcher Wilkin Castillo. A grounder by Phil Avlas, transplanted from the Tennessee Smokies last year, moved him to 2nd, enabling him to score when Javier Brito singled to right-center, scoring Castillo to make it 3-2........ Chris Rahl, who led the minors in hits last year (186 for Class A-Lancaster (Cal.), doubled down the left field line, past the glove of Adam Heether, sending Brito to 3rd. Carlos Gonzalez then delivered the final blow....... A 3-for-23 hitter with runners in scoring position, he singled on a 1-1 pitch sharply up the middle to bring in Brito and Rahl, giving the Arizona-affiliated Bay Bears a 4-3 lead........ Mobile hitters were consistently swinging early against Narron, who was throwing strikes up until the 6th inning. Then his control left him and he threw only four of his 12 pitches for strikes. He was saved by a double play grounder by Castillo after he had walked pinch-hitter Jon Zeringue and Emilio Bonifacio on four pitches each...... In all, Narron threw 85 pitches, 56 for strikes. The Stars offense, aside from Nix's home run, never got on track..... After the 3rd inning, four Mobile pitchers scattered three hits -- a ground-rule double to deepest center by Carlos Corporan, a single to left by Perez, and a 9th inning broken-bat single by Guilder Rodriguez........ The Stars loaded the bases in the 7th inning, with the help of a couple of walks, but with two out, Brendan Katin grounded out to short to end the inning......... The Stars' final chance came after G.Rod singled with one out in the 9th. Three Mobile players chasing it, let if drop between them. A wild pitch by Dustin Glant moved him to 2nd, and the Stars were just one hit from tying the game...... But Steve Sollmann flied out to right and Hernan Iribarren grounded out routinely to second to end the game. Tuesday night, it's Manny Parra's turn in front of the owner........ Parra is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA, with a 2.84 ERA in his last four appearances....... Opposing him is Esmerling Vasquez (2-3, 3.60)...... Vasquez is 1-2, 3.15 in his last three starts. Mike Jones, who was lifted after 3 2/3 innings in Sunday's game, has been placed on the disabled list with an elbow strain. I'm told it's not as serious as it sounds....... Originally, it was thought to be some tightness in his forearm.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...n-in-10th/ Power rallies for win in 10th Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter One month into his second season in Charleston, Michael Brantley finally hit his first official home run for the West Virginia Power. And it came at an opportune time for his team. Brantley hit a 350-foot shot over the right-field fence in the 10th inning Monday afternoon to give West Virginia a 4-3 victory over visiting Lexington (Ky.) on a Grand Slam School Day at Appalachian Power Park, where a student- and teacher-laden crowd of 4,224 saw another thrilling finish between the South Atlantic League teams. The Northern Division-leading Power improved to 21-7. The Legends dropped to 14-17. Using a bat he acquired from teammate Stephen Chapman in a trade two weeks ago, Brantley crushed a 3-1 fastball from Lexington reliever Sergio Severino (1-1) with one out in the bottom half of the extra frame. "They were throwing me inside a lot this series," said Brantley, an outfielder whom West Virginia Manager Mike Guerrero has moved to first base as he plays through the pain of a hip flexor injury. "So, I moved off the plate. "Luckily, I got a fastball that I could drive. It was middle in. I just put a good swing on it." Brantley's only other home run with the Power came this year in an exhibition game against WVU Tech. Monday marked the second day in a row the Power picked up a come-from-behind win via a walk-off hit. It was the fourth time this season that the Power won in its final at-bat and the second time on a walk-off homer. "Another yawner," West Virginia pitching coach John Curtis joked as he walked toward the home clubhouse. Although he blew a save for the second time this season, Power closer Omar Aguilar (2-1) got the win. He allowed one run on one hit and three walks in two innings. West Virginia had a season-low four hits -- one each from Brantley, shortstop Brent Brewer (a two-run single in the eighth), third baseman Jimmy Mojica (a one-run double in the third) and second baseman Kenny Holmberg (a single in the seventh). "When you can win a game with four hits, that gives you an idea of what kind of team this team is," said Guerrero, whose team stranded seven runners but capitalized on six walks and one error by Lexington. "We are going to find a way to win. And with the players' talent and their age, they are just going to get better." The Legends wasted an impressive performance by Lexington starter Polin Trinidad. The left-hander surrendered one run on two hits in seven innings. He also finished with eight strikeouts compared to one walk. West Virginia starter Zach Braddock also was solid. The southpaw allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in six innings. West Virginia will begin a four-game series against host Hagerstown (Md.) at 6:35 tonight (5:35 Central) at Municipal Stadium. The Power will start right-hander Roque Mercedes (0-1, 8.76). West Virginia hasn't lost a series this year. It has split two and won six, including three sweeps. "We wanted to get a win today because we wanted to keep our momentum going," Mojica said. "We were picking each other up out there. We struggled a little bit, but we kept playing and we pulled it out at the end." Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Craig Cunningham West Virginia Power shortstop Brent Brewer tries to put the tag on Lexington Legends runner Jordan Parraz, who stole second base on this play in the 10th inning Monday afternoon. The Legends stranded Parraz, and the Power received a walk-off home run from Michael Brantley in the bottom half of the extra frame to earn a 4-3 come-from-behind victory. http://www.dailymail.com/images/brewer10508.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...the+plate/ Brewer developing in the field and at the plate Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Baseball fans aren't always easy on bonus babies such as Brent Brewer, the West Virginia Power's talented but inexperienced shortstop. Brewer, who received a $600,000 signing bonus after the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft with the 60th overall pick, quickly learned that lesson after he arrived to Charleston last month. Six games into the 2007 campaign, his first full season in professional baseball, Brewer had twice as many strikeouts (10) as hits (five). To make matters worse, he also had more errors (six). It was only a matter of time before Rod Blackstone used his famous jeers on one of his own -- "You are toast" and "He can't catch" would have been perfect. Others didn't hold back. Sarcastic chants such as "Way to go, Brewer" often were heard around Appalachian Power Park after one of his gaffes at the plate or in the field. But times -- and fans' tunes -- have changed since then. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brewer has committed only three errors in his last 21 games. He also has increased his batting average from .200 to .288 during that stretch. Strikeouts remain a problem for him -- he had 25 in that span for a total of 35 this season -- but they don't occur as often as they did. Brewer has scored 22 runs and knocked in eight more. Nine of his 34 hits -- six doubles, two triples and one homer -- are extra-base knocks. He also has 12 steals in 14 attempts. "I feel like I'm getting better everyday," said Brewer, who delivered a two-run single in the eighth inning Monday afternoon to help West Virginia rally for a 4-3 victory over visiting Lexington (Ky.) in a 10-inning South Atlantic League game. "I'm still getting used to (the level of play in Class A). There's a big difference between that and what I'm used to." Brewer slowly but surely is bridging the gap. "He's a competitor," Power hitting coach Corey Hart said of Brewer, an Atlanta native who originally committed to play baseball and football for Florida State University coming out of Sandy Creek High School in Georgia. "He struggled early. I think it got to him a little bit. He took it upon himself to make changes. He got the job done by working hard and working through adversity. There's a rhythm and timing to hitting and fielding, and he's getting better at both. "That's why he's having some success now." In a season full of pleasant surprises, Brewer has been the most pleasant surprise for the Power ... at least Milwaukee Director of Player Development Reid Nichols thinks so. Nichols has raved about Brewer and the way he has exceeded the Brewers' expectations for him at this level at this stage in his career. Brewer is only 19 and won't turn 20 until December. Plus, he had an up-and-down season with the Brewers' low-level, short-season rookie team in the Arizona League last year. He finished with a .264 batting average and .328 on-base percentage, with three doubles, three homers, six triples, 22 RBI and 25 runs in 45 games. But he also had 53 strikeouts and 24 errors. "I think he has come a long way in a short time," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said. "He has improved 100 percent. But we haven't seen the best of Brent Brewer. "He has the talent. He just doesn't have the experience. When you hear the word raw, that's what it means. He's going to continue to improve and he's going to do better than everybody expects." Brewer has drawn comparisons to Brian Jordan and Reggie Sanders, both of whom had respectable Major League careers. Baseball America ranks Brewer as the 19th-best overall prospect in Milwaukee's farm system. The publication also calls him the best athlete in the Brewers' organization. "As might be expected from an athlete sought by Bobby Bowden, Brewer has a long list of physical attributes: speed, strength, a good arm and great range at shortstop," Baseball America wrote in its 2007 Prospect Handbook. "But he's a raw baseball player ... Still maturing physically, Brewer eventually may have to move off shortstop. Scouts believe he could be an outstanding center fielder. "The Brewers just want him to play and gain experience after dividing his loyalties during high school between baseball and football. "As he matures and gets stronger, the Brewers believe he'll develop power. Brewer tried too many batting stances but finally found a comfortable approach, then continued to make strides in instructional league. "He must work hard on his strike-zone discipline, increase his on-base percentage and take advantage of his speed."

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds pitcher tosses one-hitter Jackson's gem baffles Round Rock By TYLER BLANK For The Tennessean Sounds pitcher Zach Jackson threw a complete game one-hitter and retired the last 16 batters he faced in front of a season-high crowd of 11,394 in Monday's 7-1 victory over Round Rock at Greer Stadium. Jackson gave up only one hit, a fourth-inning home run by Round Rock's Brooks Conrad. Nashville capitalized on good hitting and an Express error to spark a five-run eighth inning to seal the win. Jackson dominated the game, needing only 89 pitches, 60 of which were for strikes, to finish off Round Rock and take the series three games to one. It is the Sounds' ninth win in their last 10 home games. "It was good to execute my pitches from the very get-go to the very end," said Jackson, who didn't walk any batters. "I'm blessed to have the outing that I did." Jackson finished with three strikeouts and forced Round Rock hitters into routine groundballs and flies. Defensively, the Sounds were errorless. "They were aggressive early in the count. He made them keep the ball on the ground," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "That's what you're supposed to do. Make the routine plays and everything's going to be okay. We did a good job of that today." Second baseman Callix Crabbe hit a home run in Nashville's opening at-bat, and shortstop Chris Barnwell sparked the Sounds offensively, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. The Sounds begin an eight-game road trip today, starting with four games at Colorado Springs, and then finish with four more at Salt Lake before returning home May 17 to open an eight-game homestand. What they said: "He made them keep the ball on the ground and made pitches on his own all day." ? Kremblas on Jackson. ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Forty schools participate in Reading Club event By TYLER BLANK For The Tennessean Monday was Sounds Reading Club Day at Greer Stadium. Students from 40 schools attended the event, which requires students to meet reading goals in exchange for a free ticket to the game. The children took part in an honorary pre-game parade around the field and participated in a number of events in between innings. Each student also received a free meal at the game. Hot hitter: Sounds first baseman Andy Abad hit safely again Monday. It marks the eighth consecutive game he has done so and ties him with outfielder Brad Nelson for Sounds' longest hitting streak of the season. Abad has gone 11-for-26 during the streak, batting .423 during that time. Catcher Mike Rivera did not play Monday, but brings a five-game hitting streak with him to Colorado Springs today. Early start: The Sounds have to wake up early this week. Including Monday's 10:30 a.m. start, the Sounds will take the field at that time in two of its next three games at Colorado Springs (11:30 a.m. in Nashville). The Sounds are now 3-0 when starting at 10:30 a.m. "Obviously, our guys are getting some sleep," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. Beginning and end: Sounds second baseman Callix Crabbe hit a home run in Nashville's opening at-bat Monday. Crabbe doubled his total for the year on the shot to left field. "He worked the count, fouled off some pitches that were tough and made a line drive that was able to get out," Kremblas said. Crabbe's first home run of the season was a walk-off shot in the bottom of the ninth April 6 against New Orleans. Low numbers: Sounds pitcher Zach Jackson threw a complete game and allowed only one hit in Monday's win. The single hit is the lowest hit total Nashville has allowed since a multi-pitcher no-hitter on July 15 of last season against Memphis. The last time before Monday that a Nashville pitcher had hurled a complete game was Aug. 16 of last season against New Orleans. The pitcher? Zach Jackson. Five times: Nashville's Jose Macias started at third base Monday, becoming one of two Sounds to start a game at five different positions this season. Including Monday's third base start, Macias has started at second base, as well as all three outfield positions. The other Sound to have done this was Vinny Rottino, who lined up at catcher on Monday. Rottino has also started at left field, right field, first base and third base on the year.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=56065 Jackson throws epic game as Sounds cruise By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent Zach Jackson had just hurled the game of his life and his Sounds teammates decided he needed a trophy to commemorate the occasion. Jackson threw a complete game one hitter in a contest that finished in just under two hours as the Sounds downed Round Rock 7-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 11,394 at Greer Stadium on Monday morning. Although the Sounds hand out Copley guitars to any player who hits a home run off the scoreboard in left-center, they don?t have a trophy to honor pitchers who throw games like Jackson did. So Jackson?s teammates presented him with a shift trophy of their own ? a homemade cardboard cutout in the shape of a guitar. Jackson certainly earned it. The only hit he allowed was a two-out solo homer by Brooks Conrad in the fourth inning. He then proceeded to retire the next 16 Express hitters. Jackson only faced 28 batters ? one over the minimum. ?I?m excited,? Jackson said as he was handed his cardboard guitar by teammate Andy Abad. ?It was good to go out there and execute my pitches from the very get-go. Behind me, teammates came through unbelievably for me. [Round Rock] are contact guys. I was just really fortunate. ?I can deal with [giving up the Conrad homer]. I?d rather go down like that trying to get him out than walking him and he?s a great hitter.? Jackson (5-2) only fanned three Round Rock hitters, but Vinny Rottino, who was behind the dish for the Sounds, said he only made one mistake. While pacing a game that lasted 1 hour and 59 minutes, Jackson only threw 89 pitches through the nine innings. ?Zach only made one mistake and that was getting the ball up on the sinker to Conrad,? Rottino said. ?Besides that he did exactly what he should do, kept the ball down and stayed in attack mode the whole game.? Callix Crabbe hit a leadoff home run to open the game for the Sounds (18-13). It was Crabbe?s second homer on the year ? his first was a game-winner against Oklahoma. Chris Barnwell (3-for-3) hit an RBI single that scored Brad Nelson in the second and doubled the Sounds lead. The Sounds added five insurance runs in the eighth, with Rottino accounting for two of them on a bases-loaded single. Abad also had an RBI single. Braun sits again: Sounds third baseman Ryan Braun missed the third-consecutive game because of a sore groin. Reading Day: The Monday morning game began at 10:30 a.m. and was a standing-room only crowd for Nashville Sounds Reading Day. Virtually all of the fans in attendance were area kids who earned the field trip by reaching the reading goals set by their schools.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Rehabbing outfielder hits homer, but Stars can't keep Mobile at bay By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times Milwaukee outfielder Laynce Nix made the first start of a rehab assignment in Huntsville on Monday, but he's much more interested in rehabbing a once-promising major league career. The 26-year-old's quest got off to a resounding start against Mobile. After walking in his first at-bat, Nix turned on a Chris Kinsey pitch in the third and belted a three-run homer down the right-field line. His missile curled around the foul pole for the Stars' only offense in a 4-3 series-opening loss to Mobile in front of 701 fans at Joe Davis Stadium. "It's been a long time since I've been in a game, and I'm pleased with the way I feel right now," said Nix, who injured his oblique in mid-March during a spring training game against his former Texas Rangers teammates. "I'm not going to get too excited about one home run, but I want to get some quality at-bats while I'm here." The 2002 Rangers' minor league Player of the Year played a predetermined four innings in his season debut Monday and showed a little rust by dropping a fly ball in the fourth. Huntsville manager Don Money will take major league offensive assistance as long as he can, though. "They tried to sneak a fastball on 0-2, and he turned on it," Money said. "It'll be good. He's scheduled to play all five games." The excitement of welcoming Nix was tempered by the loss of pitcher Mike Jones, who left Sunday with a strained elbow. Jones, who spent portions of '03, '04 and '06 on the disabled list along with missing all of '05, went back on the shelf. He was replaced by Lindsay Gulin, who was sent down from Triple-A Nashville and is expected to start Friday's game against Mobile. Gulin will try to help Huntsville later, but Nix made an immediate impact. Sam Narron couldn't make the home run stand up, though, allowing three runs off four hits in the fifth. Nix said he expects to get three at-bats today before playing full games later in the week. The Stars (14-15) needed him the full nine innings Monday. They loaded the bases in the seventh with two outs, but Brendan Katin grounded weakly to shortstop. Then in the ninth, Guilder Rodriguez blooped a one-out single to left, but he was stranded on second. "It's not like we didn't have a couple of chances," Money said. Nix is itching for his next chance in the big leagues. Following a successful debut in '03, the high-sock-wearing left-hander continued a stellar start to his career in '04. He hit only .248 but showed some power with 14 homers in 115 games. He injured his shoulder running into a wall that season and said he played with considerable pain the next two years. Surgery followed in '05, and his consistency fell off. "I should have had it operated on, but I played with a pretty significant injury," he said. "It's really been frustrating with the injuries, but they're nothing that's going to linger." His recovery process was slow last season, as he started 3-for-32 and received a demotion. That, coupled with the monster season Gary Matthews Jr. was having in center, made Nix expendable. He was traded to Milwaukee along with Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench and Julian Cordero for star outfielder Carlos Lee and former Star Nelson Cruz. Now, Nix is trying to resurrect the form that had Rangers fans penciling him into their lineup for the next 10 years. "It's just a business, and they make business decisions," said Nix, who grew up in Texas. "My business is getting myself healthy and benefiting the team and benefiting myself."

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 STARS SPOTLIGHT: STEVE SOLLMANN Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times Position: First base Age: 25 Hometown: Cincinnati Stats: .333, 1 HR, 12 RBIs, 9 stolen bases in 27 games Years with Stars: First Equipment: Louisville Slugger C271 bat and contract to use Akadema glove How many gloves do you have in your locker? Four - first baseman's mitt, third baseman's glove, outfielder's glove, middle infielder glove Which is the favorite position? "Whichever position will get me on the field the most." If you could trade places with another athlete for a day: Tiger Woods If you weren't a baseball player, you'd be: "Probably be in marketing somewhere, or maybe a financial trader. That's what I do in the offseason." What was your offseason job? Working at M&N Trading, trading futures on the Chicago Board of Trade. "I'm a go-fer boy. I get the guys lunch. I don't do any trading, or get any of the money. (The market is) really comparable to baseball. Sometimes you have bad days and you have to look past it. It's a competitive nature, a lot of risk and a lot of reward." First baseball memory: "It wasn't even me playing. It was my brother (Scott, a former Huntsville Star) playing. He played a lot for years before I got into it. So it was going to games, traveling with my family, to watch him." You went to Notre Dame. What kind of loyal fan are you? "I'm not nutso, but I love the place. It was four of the greatest years of my life." Did you anguish for hours for Brady Quinn on draft day? "Not at all. He's a first-round draft pick in the NFL. You can't anguish much. I don't know him, but I've heard a lot of good things about him, that he's a good guy." Best thing about Notre Dame: The people. Worst thing about Notre Dame: The weather. Best baseball movie ever: "Bull Durham" Worst baseball movie ever: "Major League: Back to the Minors" Most annoying celebrity: Paris Hilton What did you listen to on the way to the ballpark today? "Some rock station." Funniest person on earth: Jerry Seinfeld Favorite TV show: "24" How do you pass time on a long bus trip: Read a lot of books and watch movies Currently reading: "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton What are your or what's your history in other sports: "I played football and basketball in high school. I was on a state championship team in high school. I played point guard in basketball and was a running back in football."

Final: Mobile (Diamondbacks) 4, Huntsville 3 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1146 Mobile Wins Series Opener Carlos Gonzalez?s two-run single capped a three-run fifth inning rally that carried Mobile past Huntsville 4-3 Monday night in the opener of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The BayBears improved to 14-17 on the season, while the Stars slipped to 14-15 but remain a game behind Tennessee in the North Division after the Smokies were edged 2-1 at Montgomery. Wilkin Castillo opened the fifth with an infield single, moved to second base on a ground out and scored on a base hit by Javier Brito to trim the Stars lead to 3-2. Chris Rahl followed with a double to push Brito to third and both runners scored on the base hit by Gonzalez, who had been just 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position before driving in the decisive runs. Stars? starter Sam Narron issued back-to-back one out walks in the sixth but got out of trouble by getting Castillo to ground into an inning-ending double play. He took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits and three walks over six frames. He remains winless on the season and has suffered two of his defeats at home. Corey Thurman took over in the seventh and retired Gonzalez on a foul out to the catcher and struck out Jarred Ball with runners at second and third and one out. Huntsville?s lone runs came in the third inning on a line drive, three-run home run by Laynce Nix that tucked itself just inside the foul pole and barely cleared the wall in right field. Nix began a scheduled five-day rehab assignment from a right oblique muscle strain with a four-pitch walk and the long ball, the 13th for the Stars this season. BayBears? starter Chris Kinsey earned his first win of the season after allowing three runs on six hits over a season-best 6 1/3 innings of work. Clint Goocher took over with runners at first and second and one out in the seventh and walked pinch-hitter Mike Carlin to load the bases with two outs but worked out of trouble by retiring Brendan Katin on a ground out. Osbek Castillo retired all three hitters he faced in the eighth and Dustin Glant worked a scoreless ninth to record his third save. The series continues Tuesday night, as southpaw Manny Parra will take the hill against BayBears? right-hander Esmerling Vasquez. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 AM WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Yohannis Perez a costly error (# 6); lefty Joe Thatcher three groundouts in a scoreless inning -- there's your surprise callup when Chris Spurling falters enough, folks... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

Final: Clearwater (Phillies) 4, Brevard County 3 Brevard County Game Notes from MiLB.com: Threshers squeak by Manatees Clay Harris' RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled Clearwater to a 4-3 win over Brevard County on Monday. With the score tied, Gregory Golson led off with a single and stole second for the Threshers (21-10). Mike Spidale was hit by a pitch before Harris singled to left one out later to plate Golson. Golson, who went 2-for-4, also singled and scored on Spidale's two-run double in the first. Spidale went 2-for-3. Pat Overholt started and went six strong innings for Clearwater, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out five. William Savage (1-0) picked up the win after yielding one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out two. Michael Zagurski walked one in a scoreless ninth to notch his fourth save. Manatees starter Derek Miller worked six innings, surrendering three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and one walk while striking out two. Vince Perkins (1-1) allowed one run on two hits in two innings to take the loss. Alcides Escobar drove in two runs for Brevard County (16-14). -- Steve Conley/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: Mat Gamel the only Manatee with a multi-hit game, but error # 13 proved costly in a one-run loss; speedy Lorenzo Cain grounds into two double plays, including a brutal game-ender... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Freddy Parejo a bad strikeout in the 5th; Chris Errecart picked off at third base on a ball four which should have loaded the bases with one out in the 8th -- was the ball in the dirt initially? Otherwise, that's as big a mistake as it gets... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1

Pitcher of the Week Award -- South Atlantic League Alexandre Periard, West Virginia 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO After making three relief appearances, Periard returned to the Power's rotation this week and immediately made his presence felt. The 19-year-old righty hurled six scoreless innings against Hagerstown on Tuesday, and five more against Lexington on Sunday. Periard didn't earn the win in the latter start, as West Virginia's bullpen blew the lead before the team rallied for a 10-inning victory. Nonetheless, his 0.69 ERA is second in the circuit. And yes, we spelled "honour" in this subject as we did for the French-Canadian http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

Brewers at # 2 and # 14 this week -- you can guess, I'm sure: www.baseballamerica.com/t...63867.html

LHP Derek Miller your Manatee starter tonight; Brevard trails 3-0 after 3.5 innings, 'Tees yet to have a base hit...

The seemingly endless one-week roster juggling with minor injuries in West Virginia continues. First baseman John Alonso has been activated from the D.L., and OF/C Anderson Delarosa has been placed on the D.L. with an undisclosed injury. Hopefully Delarosa be back in seven days, as have most of the other Power players on their respective stints this spring.

Link to Huntsville Site, text follows: www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1144 Jones Sidelined Again The Milwaukee Brewers have placed right-hand pitcher Mike Jones on the disabled list and have sent left-hand pitcher Lindsay Gulin from triple-A Nashville to Huntsville. Gulin is expected to be in uniform Wednesday and take Jones? spot in the starting rotation and pitch against Mobile on Friday morning in the last of a five-game series. Jones left Sunday?s start in the fourth inning with two outs after the first pitch of an at-bat to Tonys Gutierrez and will be sidelined by a right elbow strain. The 24-year-old Jones is 2-2 with a 5.08 earned run average in six starts. He has missed time during the 2003, 2004 and 2006 seasons because of injury and did not pitch at all in 2005 after undergoing shoulder surgery. Gulin has made three appearances with Nashville this season, one as a starter and two in relief. He has worked 6 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on nine hits, while walking three and striking out four. Gulin has no record and a 5.68 earned run average. The Brewers signed the 30-year-old in January after he had spent last season pitching in the independent Northern League in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Link, text follows: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Sounds' Jackson quickly dispatches Express By Benjamin Hill / Special to MLB.com Nashville's Zach Jackson was a model of efficiency on Monday afternoon, as the 23-year-old left-hander needed just 89 pitches to hurl a complete-game one-hitter against the visiting Round Rock Express. Jackson (5-2), the first five-game winner in the PCL this season, faced just one batter over the minimum as the Sounds coasted to a 7-1 victory. "I was throwing nearly every pitch for a strike, and was getting a lot of quick outs," said Jackson, who struck out three and didn't walk a batter. "I had a good sinker, and my cutter was working well. I'm a contact guy and I've got a great defense behind me, so I was just trying to locate my pitches and be aggressive." Jackson hurled three perfect innings before hitting Josh Anderson with a pitch to lead off the fourth. After Tim Raines grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, Brooks Conrad connected for his team-leading sixth home run of the season. It turned out to be the only hit that Jackson allowed. "He [Conrad] is a great hitter, so I've just got to tip my cap," said Jackson. "It was a 3-2 two-seamer, and I left it up and he got a hold off it. That was really disappointing, but I'm glad I challenged him in that situation instead of walking him." Jackson was flawless the rest of the afternoon. The Pennsylvania native retired the last 16 batters he faced as the Sounds (18-13) breezed to victory in a contest that took less than two hours to play. Jackson's masterpiece was the second dominant outing by a Nashville starter in as many days, as Yovani Gallardo allowed just one hit over seven innings while fanning nine in Sunday's 5-2 victory. Nashville's offense got off to a quick start, allowing Jackson to work with a lead throughout the afternoon. Callix Crabbe led off the first inning with a home run, while Chris Barnwell hit an RBI double in the second. The Sounds broke the game open in the eighth inning, scoring five runs on three singles, two walks, an error and a wild pitch. Chad Reinke (2-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and three walks over 7 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old hurled five shutout innings before running into major trouble in the eighth. Jose Rodriguez came on with two outs in the frame and allowed each of his two inherited runners to score before striking out Brad Nelson to end the inning. Round Rock dropped to 14-18 with the loss. Zach Jackson threw just 89 pitches and induced 16 groundouts in tossing a complete-game one-hitter against Round Rock on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Mike Strasinger) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/05/07/CiRQUok5.jpg

Huntsville Site: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1143 Stars Get Temporary Addition to Outfield The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that outfielder Laynce Nix will join the Stars Monday to begin a rehabilitation assignment. Nix is expected to remain in Huntsville throughout the five-game series with Mobile that begins Monday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Nix is recovering from a right oblique muscle strain and has been sidelined by the injury for the first five weeks of the season. He was acquired by the Brewers last season as part of the six-player trade that sent Carlos Lee from Milwaukee to Texas. Nix collected only three hits in 32 at-bats for the Rangers before the deal and wound up picking up eight hits, including a home run, and driving in six runs over 35 at-bats with the Brewers. The Rangers selected Nix in the fourth round of the 2000 draft and he has spent parts of each of the last four seasons in the big leagues. He has a career batting average of .241 with 29 home runs and 118 RBI in 250 games.

hey Mass, any word on Jason Childers? DHonks, Jason just surfaced on the White Sox AAA club in Charlotte, one outing thus far...

The focus will be on the big league boys tonight, but if Huntsville and Brevard County manage to match the excitement of today, it'll be a heck of a night. Wow...

As if we haven't linked to enough audio treats today: Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Yovani Gallardo: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%205-7.mp3

Final: Nashville 7, Round Rock (Astros) 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Zach Jackson photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2304 Jackson Hurls One-Hitter In 7-1 Sounds Triumph NASHVILLE ? Zach Jackson made quick work of the Round Rock Express on Monday morning at Greer Stadium, twirling a complete-game one-hitter to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 7-1 victory in front of a packed house of 11,394 fans in the finale of a four-game homestand. Jackson (5-2) took the Pacific Coast League lead with his fifth victory and did so in dominating fashion, retiring the final 16 Express batters in order while throwing 89 pitches and facing only 28 batters, one over the minimum. His lone hit allowed was a fourth-inning Brooks Conrad homer and he struck out three batters while walking none. The complete-game effort was the Sounds? first nine-inning outing by a starter since Jackson worked all nine frames of a victory last August 16 against New Orleans. The one-hitter was Nashville?s best effort since Carlos Villanueva combined with a pair of relievers on a no-hitter on July 15, 2006 against Memphis. Jackson?s effort followed less than 24 hours after Yovani Gallardo worked a gem against the Express on Sunday afternoon (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R). The first-place Sounds (18-13) notched their fifth win in the last seven games overall and their ninth victory in the club?s last 10 home contests at Greer Stadium. The majority of the standing room only crowd in attendance were schoolchildren from approximately 40 area schools at the game as a reward for reaching their reading goals as part of the highly-successful Nashville Sounds Reading Club program. Callix Crabbe (2-for-3) got the Sounds started in the first inning when he led off with a solo homer to right off Express starter Chad Reineke. The blast was his second of the year and Nashville?s first game-opening home runs since Kennard Bibbs opened a July 23, 2006 contest at Oklahoma with a roundtripper. AUDIO: Callix Crabbe's Game-Opening HR -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%205-7.mp3 Nashville doubled its lead to 2-0 in the second when Brad Nelson drew walk and later scored on Chris Barnwell?s two-out RBI double down the right-field line. Barnwell paced the Nashville offense with a 3-for-3 day that included a pair of doubles. Conrad put the visitors on the board and broke up Jackson?s no-hitter with a two-out solo homer to left in the fourth, the infielder?s team-leading sixth longball of the year. It was the first ball hit out of the infield against Jackson on the afternoon. The Sounds put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh against Reineke. All five runs scored unearned following a two-out throwing error by Round Rock shortstop Danny Klassen. Vinny Rottino highlighted the frame with a two-run single before Andy Abad followed with a run-scoring knock of his own to extend his hitting streak to eight games, matching the longest by a Nashville player this season. Reineke (2-3) took the loss for the Express after allowing seven runs (two earned) on seven hits over 7 2/3 innings. He walked three batters and struck out six in the contest. The Sounds travel to Colorado Springs on Tuesday morning to begin an eight-game road trip with the 8:35 p.m. CT opener of a four-game series against the Sky Sox (AAA-Rockies). Right-hander R.A. Dickey (1-4, 5.58) will start Tuesday?s series opener for Nashville and face Colorado Springs right-hander Marc Kaiser (2-1, 4.07). Nashville concludes its road trip with a four-game stop in Salt Lake (AAA-Angels) before returning to Greer Stadium on Thursday, May 17. Nashville Box Score: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

West Virginia Site Game Summary: BRANTLEY WALKS OFF IN POWER WIN Michael Brantley hit his first home run of the season, a walk off bomb in the bottom of the tenth inning in Monday morning?s game against the Lexington Legends at Appalachian Power Park as the Power defeated the Legends 4-3. Lexington took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Eric Taylor and Drew Holder. The Power cut the lead in half on Jimmy Mojica?s run-scoring double in the third. In the eighth inning, with runners on second and third base, the Lexington Legends moved their infield in and Brent Brewer dropped a single into left field to score both Steve Chapman and Mojica to give the Power their first lead of the game. Max Sapp led the ninth inning off with a base hit into center field. After Jimmy Van Ostrand walked, Koby Clemens laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third and Drew Holder hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate the tying run later in the inning. Michael Brantley stepped in with the bases empty and one out in the bottom of the tenth inning and hit his first home run of his professional career to provide the Power with the win. Power starting pitcher Zach Braddock tossed six strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits and struck out six but didn?t get the decision. Omar Aguilar (2-1) earned the victory and Sergio Severino (1-1) was tagged with the loss. The victory for the Power was their fourth in their final at bat, and it was their second walk off homer of the season. The Power improved to 21-7 with the win and the Legends fell to 14-17 with the loss. The Power will begin a four game series against the Hagerstown Suns at Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night. The Power will start right hander Roque Mercedes (0-1, 8.76). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM (5:35 Central).