Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Faces on the Field: Angel Salome By Lisa Winston / MLB.com It's not unusual for young Dominican-born baseball players to have to adjust to "culture shock" when they come to play in the United States for the first time. But Milwaukee Brewers catching prospect Angel Salome's experience was quite different from that of many of his countrymen. That's because Salome, who is currently hitting .287 with 10 homers and a league-leading 84 RBIs with the West Virginia Power in the Class A South Atlantic League, has spent most of his life living in the Washington Heights section of New York City. The neighborhood has become the second home for a large percentage of émigrés from the Dominican Republic, so Salome can embrace his roots. But at the same time, he is very much a "native New Yorker." The culture shock he experienced was not one of coming to America. It was one of going out into America -- to the outposts of the country. In his first three pro seasons, Salome's job has taken him to Phoenix (2004), Helena, Mont., (2005) and Charleston, W.V. (2006). "When I came to West Virginia, it was so quiet that, even though I had my teammates around me, I was lonely," he said. "In New York, any time of the day or night there are people around; you hear cabs. But here, by 9 o'clock everything's closed. If you're hungry, you better have Corn Flakes in your house." Salome moved to New York from the Dominican with his mom when he was 3, so he has been completely bilingual pretty much all of his life. He graduated in 2004 from George Washington High School, the alma mater of Boston Red Sox superstar Manny Ramirez, and was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round of the draft that summer. Primarily a middle infielder growing up, the 5-foot-7 Salome moved behind the plate full-time in high school. And don't let the height fool you. The powerfully built 20-year-old with a cannon for an arm not only projects as a Major League catcher despite his size, but the Brewers think it could be an advantage. "I don't think it's a negative being short, and in some ways it's a positive, because the taller kids sometimes have more issues," said Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik. "He's compact and as strong as can be, a good athlete who can throw. I think it works to his advantage." Salome is certainly used to comments about his height and in his easy-going way he has a succinct answer for the doubters. "People used to say to me, 'Aren't you too short to be a catcher?' And I'd say, 'Yes, I am.'" Not that he'd let that stop him. His arm grades out at a 70 on a scout scale of 20-80 (and rarely, if ever, does anyone receive an 80). At the plate, Salome has hit with line-drive power to all fields. He has good speed and, thanks in part to his size, shows great agility for his position. Some of the niceties of the catching trade are still coming along, but his work ethic this season has given the Brewers added confidence that it will just be a matter of time before he works his way through the ranks to their big-league team. Salome has been working intensively with roving catching instructor Charlie Greene, and his added dedication to that side of his game has been paying off with noticeable improvements. "To say we're happy with him is an understatement," Zduriencik said. Salome got his pro career off to a late start, not because of any signing issues, but because of a broken hamate bone suffered at the end of his senior year in high school. So, he played just a handful of games that summer, hitting .235 in just 20 games down the stretch in the Arizona Rookie League. In 2005, however, he headed to Helena to catch for the club's Pioneer League squad, and that was where he really opened eyes with his bat as well as his arm. His .415 average, eight homers and 50 RBIs in 37 games earned him the Brewers' Robin Yount Organizational Player of the Year, as well as a promotion to West Virginia in August. He finished up the '05 campaign at West Virginia, hitting just .254 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 29 games after the jump. But he came back to the Power in 2006 and has been one of the stalwarts of a club that was leading the 16-team South Atlantic League in hitting at .276. Batting third in the lineup, Salome was fifth in the league with 31 doubles, despite missing five games recently after injuring his thumb when he was hit by an opposing player's backswing. "From Montana to this league, the difference is the pitchers here have more control. They throw more breaking pitches in any count, more sliders," Salome said. "The first time I came up, I saw the difference, and it took some time. This year I knew the league, so, thank God, I'm doing better." From the moment the Brewers started talking with Salome pre-draft, they were as impressed with his attitude, his work ethic and his desire as they were with his formidable tools. "He was very focused on what he wanted," Zduriencik recalled. "We asked him if he was excited about being drafted, and he said 'I'm excited about being a big leaguer.'" But don't get the idea that Salome is a single-minded player, only concerned about his own rise up the ladder. The truth is quite the opposite, as just about any of his Latino teammates will be quick to tell you. He has made a point of utilizing his comfort zone with both cultures to take under his wing any young teammates who may not be familiar with the language or the customs of this country. From helping them hook up their phone service to lending them money for groceries, Salome has been there for them, whenever needed. In addition, his bilingual talents have been a huge help in being able to communicate with all of his pitchers. "We have pitchers from everywhere, and the Dominican guys, I teach [them] the signs and let them know they can be comfortable with me, they don't have to be shy," he said. "If they have any questions, I'll always do anything to help them out." There is one area, though, that he admits he can't really help them with ... because he has his own problems: home-cooked meals. "I miss my family, and I miss my Dominican food," he laughed. "I can cook it here with my teammates, but it's not the same as when my mom cooks it." When the Power came up through Lakewood, N.J., Salome's mother came to town with rice and beans and chicken for her son. When he was in Arizona, she overnighted him 15 pounds of beef. Keeping on the pounds without that home cooking has been one of Salome's biggest professional challenges, as he estimates he can lose as much as 10-15 pounds in a day (much of it water weight) in his catcher's gear in the intense heat. And at 190 pounds of muscle, dripping wet, that is weight he can ill afford to keep off. "I was almost crying in Arizona, I was so hungry and getting so skinny," he recalled. So count this as yet another incentive to get to the Majors for Salome: those road trips to New York City for mom's home cooking. West Virginia's Angel Salome is hitting .287 with 10 homers and a league-leading 84 RBIs. (John Setzler/MLB.com) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2006/08/14/8iQeoVjZ.jpg

Early pitching updates: It's LHP Sam Narron for the Manatees against a rehabbing Carl Pavano for Tampa. LHP Rafael Lluberes, struggling as of late, and not LHP Julian Cordero, starting for the Power.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006081539/ Cain hoping to make SAL history for the Power Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor It's been a very offensive season for the West Virginia Power. While the home team at Appalachian Power Park hasn't lived up to its nickname -- the Power ranks 13th among 16 South Atlantic League teams in home runs -- these Brewers are plenty good at the plate. West Virginia leads the league in hitting (.276) by a robust seven points as an eight-game homestand opens tonight at 7:05 (6:05 Central) against Hickory, in for a four-game series. Right fielder Lorenzo Cain has gone 7-for-11 in his last three games to raise his SAL-best batting average to .309. "It's in there, as far as being a good athlete goes," Power hitting coach Mike Lum said of Cain, when asked if he expected the outfielder's numbers at the plate. "It is kind of surprising when you consider he hasn't played much baseball growing up, that he's had such a tremendous start." Cain was the most valuable player in the rookie Arizona League last summer, batting .356. With 10 more hits, he will take the single-season hits record for Charleston's two decades of Class A baseball (1987-2006). Reds farmhand Bobby Perna had 150 in 1992. Cain's special season could dredge up more history. If he hangs on to lead the SAL in hitting, he will be the first Charleston batting champ in 20 SAL seasons. The last hitting champ in Charley West baseball was in the city's final Triple A season (1983), when Cleveland farmhand Jack Perconte led the International League with a .346 average for the Charlies. The infielder went on to a seven-year Major League career with the Dodgers, Indians, Mariners and White Sox. "What I've tried to stress with 'Zo is ?being on time,' " Lum said. "We moved his hands from a high position to a lower position, back. He didn't have a lot of hand movement. He's been pretty consistent, but this recent stretch, he's hitting the ball harder." Lum also said Cain has benefited "greatly" from batting second between team base-stealing leader Darren Ford (55 steals) and catcher Angel Salome, who leads the SAL in runs batted in with 84. "Cain is seeing a lot more fastballs than he might if he didn't have Ford in front and Salome behind him," Lum said. Salome's RBI total, while not near the Charleston Class A record of 102 by Jason Parsons in 1997, could recall one of the city's great baseball names if he wins the SAL RBI title - another Charleston first. The city hasn't had a league RBI champion since 1963, when Bob Chance won the Class AA Eastern League Triple Crown with a .343 average, 26 homers and 114 RBI. Hickory's Brad Corley, heading into town for a four-game series, is only two RBI behind Salome. Power third baseman Mat Gamel ranks fourth in the SAL with 75 RBI. ***It is apparent that Lum, hired by Milwaukee in the offseason after he had spent 17 seasons teaching hitting in the White Sox organization, has made a difference in the Power with his "balance, vision, rhythm, timing" philosophy. Left fielder Michael Brantley (.299) is also in the league's top 10 in hitting, and Tony Festa (.294) has climbed into the top 15. Festa, who has taken over at first base since the Aug. 2 promotion of Ned Yost to high Class A Brevard, is hitting .395 this month. "Tony, at the beginning of the season, had an early stride and a double tap (with his foot)," Lum said. "Now, he's more on time. He's a very intelligent guy, and the things he works on and does on his own are the kind of things I like to see in a hitter. "He's gotten into a groove since he started playing every day. I pay attention a lot to situation statistics, and Tony's gotten a lot of two-out RBI for us. He's really improved." Festa is batting .348 with runners in scoring position, and four points higher in that situation with two outs. Power points -- The Power made a roster move Monday, bringing left-handed pitcher Brandon Parillo back to Charleston for the second time this season. He had spend the bulk of the year in Helena, going 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 12 appearances. Parillo threw in seven games with the Power this season, going 1-0 with a 9.31 ERA. The move brings the Power roster to the 25-player maximum. The team had been playing with 24. ... The Power's current three-game losing streak matches the longest of the club's second half (23-26), but West Virginia hasn't won more than three in a row (twice), either ... Salome and Gamel ranks 1-2 among Milwaukee farmhands in RBI, while ford (55) and Cain (30) are 1-2 in steals. ***The Power hasn't helped itself in the field. The club's 169 errors are the third-most in the league. Kannapolis (188) and Hickory (178) are worse than the Power ... Power pitching ace Will Inman (9-1, 1.48) is scheduled to work Thursday night ... West Virginia has 13 of its final 20 games at home. The season attendance is 201,989 to date, with the Charleston baseball record of 234,160 set last year. With a current per-game average of 3,811, the Power needs to average only 2,475 per game to break that season mark ... Milwaukee's exclusive window to negotiate with the Power for renewal of a two-year Player Development Contract expires four weeks from today.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006081423 Power to begin eight-game stand The West Virginia Power may have fallen 10 games out of first place, but the team?s player prospects seem to be on the rise. The Power, which opens an eight-game homestand against the Hickory Crawdads at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) at Appalachian Power Park, leads the South Atlantic League in hitting at .276, and two of its players, right fielder Lorenzo Cain and catcher Angel Salome, have combined to lead the league in three offensive categories. The 20-year-old Cain is first in batting average (.309) and hits (141), and Salome, who?s also 20, leads in RBIs with 84. In addition, 19-year-old left fielder Michael Brantley, who started the season slowly, batted .337 in July and is .341 in August for an overall mark of .299 to rank ninth in the league. The league?s hottest pitcher is probably Power right-hander Will Inman, 19, who owns a 1.48 earned run average in 85 1/3 innings but, because of an injury earlier in the season, has not pitched enough to qualify for the league lead. Lexington?s Tom Fairchild is first with a 1.66 ERA in 108 2/3 innings. Inman, a native of the Martinsville, Va., area, is 9-1 and is scheduled to face the Crawdads on Friday. For the season, the Power is 62-56 and 33-22 at home. On Monday, the Power added left-hand pitcher Brandon Parillo, who appeared in seven games with the Power early in the season and then was assigned to Helena of the short-season Pioneer League. In 12 games with Helena, he was 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA.

We'll work on getting some clarification on the Pioneer League playoff system. Billings, again in first place, was the Northern Division first-half champ. If Helena Brew or others in the know are reading, please clarify whether it's overall season record or best second-half record that comes in to play should Billings win the second half as well, thanks. Hopefully the H-Crew can win the division outright, and take way all doubt.

Earlier in the week I indicated that Huntsville did not need to stay in front of Chattanooga, the first-half champs, in order to win the second half should they hopefully overtake Tennessee. Corrected info here -- Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Stars back home, eye standings Huntsville involved in a pennant race with Tennessee By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com The Huntsville Stars open a five-game homestand tonight in a new place - a pennant race. The Stars, who'll host Carolina tonight through Saturday, are 3 1/2 games behind Tennessee in the Southern League North race with three weeks remaining in the season. Huntsville is 26-23 this half, having gone 7-3 on its last road trip and winning 15 of 20 since July 22. The pennant race will be complete with scoreboard-watching as the Stars chase Tennessee and try to fend off Chattanooga. The schedule is only somewhat favorable for the Stars. They are 2-3 against Carolina this year, but must travel to West Tenn next week for five games. The Diamond Jaxx have won 16 of 20 games against Huntsville this season. Then follow series against Mississippi (against whom the Stars are 9-6) and Birmingham (12-7 Stars' edge). Tennessee has series left with Mississippi, Carolina and Mobile, all playing sub-.500 ball this half, and with first-half South champ Jacksonville. Chattanooga, four games back of Tennessee, has only five of its remaining 20 games at home, including a season-ending set at West Tenn. Chattanooga won the first half, so a Lookouts' sweep would send the North team with the best overall record into the playoffs against Chattanooga. West Tenn has the edge over Tennessee (67-53 to 62-58) right now.

Standings through Monday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 65 58 .528 - 35-25 30-33 W1[/b] Iowa 63 60 .512 2.0 35-27 28-33 L2 Memphis 49 74 .398 16.0 29-35 20-39 W2 Omaha 45 78 .366 20.0 27-33 18-45 L8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 30 20 .600 - 16-9 14-11 L1 [b]Huntsville 26 23 .531 3.5 12-12 14-11 W1[/b] Chattanooga 26 24 .520 4.0 17-13 9-11 W1 West Tenn 24 26 .480 6.0 14-6 10-20 W1 Carolina 22 28 .440 8.0 16-9 6-19 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 28 20 .583 - 19-11 9-9 L1 St. Lucie 28 21 .571 0.5 14-10 14-11 L1 Palm Beach 28 23 .549 1.5 16-9 12-14 W3 [b]Brevard County 20 29 .408 8.5 9-10 11-19 L1[/b] Jupiter 19 31 .380 10.0 11-15 8-16 L5 Vero Beach 19 31 .380 10.0 11-15 8-16 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 34 16 .680 - 18-5 16-11 W5 Lake County 27 21 .563 6.0 14-11 13-10 W1 Hickory 27 23 .540 7.0 13-15 14-8 L1 Greensboro 25 23 .521 8.0 13-12 12-11 W1 [b]West Virginia 23 26 .469 10.5 12-9 11-17 L3[/b] Hagerstown 20 29 .408 13.5 11-18 9-11 L1 Lexington 19 31 .380 15.0 13-11 6-20 L4 Delmarva 18 30 .375 15.0 11-13 7-17 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 10 6 .625 - 5-2 5-4 W2 [b]Helena 9 7 .563 1.0 6-3 3-4 L1[/b] Missoula 9 7 .563 1.0 7-2 2-5 W1 Great Falls 4 12 .250 6.0 3-4 1-8 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 11 5 .688 - 5-3 6-2 L1 AZL Royals 11 5 .688 - 6-3 5-2 W1 AZL Angels 10 5 .667 0.5 3-0 7-5 W1 AZL Padres 9 5 .643 1.0 6-3 3-2 W2 AZL Athletics 7 8 .467 3.5 6-2 1-6 L2 AZL Mariners 7 9 .438 4.0 5-3 2-6 L2 AZL Cubs 6 9 .400 4.5 2-6 4-3 W2 AZL Rangers 4 10 .286 6.0 3-4 1-6 W1 [b]AZL Brewers 3 12 .200 7.5 3-5 0-7 L2[/b]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated an hour or two prior to gametime: Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: 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_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Arizona Rookie: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_cubrok_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: Home cookin'! We'll have plenty of local media reports Wednesday AM... All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at home vs. New Orleans (Nationals), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450radio.com/ Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 6:05 PM; sorry, no web audio for this series West Virginia: LHP Julian Cordero at home vs. Hickory (Pirates), 6:55 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: RHP Chris Jean at home vs. Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Audio (click on "Listen Live"): www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php Arizona: TBD at the Cubs' complex to face the baby Bears, 9:00 PM Central time, never any web audio for the Arizona League

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West Virginia Press Release: CHARLESTON, WV (August 14, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, left handed pitcher Brandon Parillo was added to the Power roster. The move gives them 25 active players, they had been playing with 24 over the last two weeks. Parillo spent the beginning of the season with the Power, and had a record of 1-0 with an ERA of 9.31 over seven games. Parillo comes to West Virginia from Helena where he went 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA over 12 appearances.

West Virginia Press Release: CHARLESTON, WV (August 14, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, left handed pitcher Brandon Parillo was added to the Power roster. The move gives them 25 active players, they had been playing with 24 over the last two weeks. Parillo spent the beginning of the season with the Power, and had a record of 1-0 with an ERA of 9.31 over seven games. Parillo comes to West Virginia from Helena where he went 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA over 12 appearances.

Final: Arizona Royals 7, Arizona Brewers 2 Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log: Rolando Pascual with four wild pitches in his rough three-inning stint -- he'll probably be back in Maryvale next summer; Lenny LeClercq with a two-run double, the only good nugget about this one... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

Final: Billings (Reds) 6, Helena 4 Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...506_02.txt Mustangs run past Brew, take division lead By CURT SYNNESS - Independent Record Sports Writer The Helena Brewers gave up six runs in the first two innings to Billings Monday night at Kindrick Legion Field, which was enough for the Mustangs to hang on for a 6-4 win. The Brewers were hurt by two errors and six walks before the third inning, as five of the visitors tallies were unearned. But the most damage was a controversial three-run homer by the Mustangs' Logan Parker in the opening stanza. With two on, Parker hit a shot off starter Stuart Sutherland to right field, which originally was ruled a double when the ball bounced back onto the field of play. After a conference, the umpires signaled a home run, apparently believing that the ball hit the foul pole. Brewers' manager Ed Sedar and pitching coach Mark Littell disagreed, and it was Littel who ended up being thrown out of the game for arguing too heatedly, before the first inning was even over. According to Littell, the Helena staff felt the ball actually hit a metal strip on top of the fence, and should've been considered a live ball. "I get an early shower once a year," quipped the Helena pitching coach. Littell actually got his professional start in Billings in 1971, before a big league pitching career with the Royals and Cardinals. The Brewers fought back with four runs to make it a close game, scoring two in the first, one in the second and one in the sixth. Leading the offense were designated hitter Chuckie Caufield, who went 2-for-5, with a double, a triple, a run scored and a run batted in; and right fielder Stephen Chapman, with a towering two-run homer. Chapman's drive went to the same area as Parker's, but left no doubt it was legitimate, plowing into the right field net a good 20-25 feet over the fence. After Sullivan, who was tabbed with the loss, and Brian Logan were both gone by the third inning, the home team's relievers shutout Billings the rest of the night. Jose Romero pitched 3 2/3 strong innings, allowing three hits and striking out six. Jose Beltre took over in the sixth, going three innings and permitting but one safety, while fanning four. Brae Wright worked the ninth and whiffed two. Overall, Helena hurlers struck out 14 Mustangs. Jamie Arneston started for Billings, and was relieved by Kevin Gunter in the fifth. Gunter pitched 3 1/3 frames and was credited with the win. Josh Roenecke worked the final inning for the save. The win moved Billings to 10-6 in the second half, 33-21 overall, while the Brewers fell to 9-7 for the half, and 24-30 overall. The two teams meet again tonight at Kindrick Legion Field at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). Helena Box Score and Game Log: Zach Clem with a HR as well... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Site: An Inside Look at a Helena Brewer This week we sat down with Cole Gillespie and got some of the information that you might not find on a stat sheet. Gillespie provided a nice spark when he came to Helena after he helped Oregon State win the College World Series. On the year he has hit .336, with three homers and 21 RBI (.950 OPS). 1. What are your hobbies? Hanging out with friends, taking naps, playing X-box/PS2 2. Top five favorite movies? Dumb & Dumber, Wedding Crashers, Major League, Old School, and Scarface. 3. If you were deserted on an island, what would you take with you? Some type of dog, PSP, and lots of Snickers. 4. What are some of your favorite bands? Dave Matthews Band and Tom Petty 5. Who was your favorite baseball player growing up? Barry Bonds 6. What do you like about Helena so far? The people, the weather, the Brewhouse, and the rivers. 7. What is your fondest baseball memory? Winning the college World Series 8. What do you miss most about your hometown? My friends and family and the nice home cooking. 9. If you had one meal to choose, what would it be? Pasta 10.Thoughts on pitching coach Mark Littell? He?s crazy, he?s funny and he?s crazy. I like the guy.

Brevard County Site Game Summary: Hall powers Yanks, extends streak Victor Hall homered to extend his hitting streak to 11 games as visiting Tampa beat Brevard County, 11-7, on Monday. Hall led off the top of the sixth inning with his second homer and added a two-run single in the ninth for the Yankees (27-23). The 25-year-old center fielder is batting .362 (17-for-47) during his streak. Jared Greenwood went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs and Cody Ehler added two hits, two walks and two runs scored for Tampa. Jeffery Marquez (4-5) pitched five-plus innings for the win, allowing four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Mike Martinez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his third save. Brendan Katin went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Freddy Parejo smacked an RBI triple for the Manatees (20-28). Luis Pena (2-6) took the loss after surrendering six runs -- four earned -- on six hits and five walks in five innings. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com

Final: Nashville 5, Albuquerque (Marlins) 3, eight innings (scheduled for seven), regularly scheduled game Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Graham Koonce photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2109 Koonce Homers Sounds To Victory In Extras ALBUQUERQUE ? Graham Koonce belted a solo homer in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Nashville Sounds to a dramatic 5-3 victory over Albuquerque on Monday evening at Isotopes Park in the finale of a four-game series. Koonce?s blast, his 13th of the season, came off Jim Brower and gave Nashville (65-58) its 12th last at-bat of the season as well as a split of the four-game series. The first baseman had broken out of an 0-for-22 slump with a second-inning single earlier in the contest. The Sounds added an insurance run later in the eighth when Zach Sorensen singled, stole second, and scored on Jermaine Clark?s RBI single to right. The win over Albuquerque concluded the Sounds? longest road trip of the season, a 13-day, 12-game jaunt. Nashville finished 6-6 on the trip. The Sounds return to Nashville holding a two-game lead over Iowa in the PCL American Conference Northern Division after the Cubs lost in Memphis earlier in the evening. Nashville, which improved to 4-7 in extra-inning contests, was one strike away from securing the victory in regulation before Dennis Sarfate walked in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. The Sounds took a 1-0 lead against Isotopes starter Jeff Fulchino in the top of the second inning when Sorensen scored an unearned run on a Clark groundout. The Isotopes grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the third against Sounds knuckleballer Jared Fernandez. Albuquerque tied it on an Eric Reed sacrifice fly and moved in front when Mike Kinkade?s two-out RBI single to center brought home Chris Ashby. The Sounds knotted the score at 2-2 in the fourth when Andrew Beattie singled, moved up a base on a Fulchino wild pitch, and scored from second on Sorensen?s groundout. Laynce Nix put Nashville back on top in the sixth when he led off the frame with his 15th home run of the year, an opposite-field solo blast to left off Fulchino. It was the outfielder?s fifth roundtripper as a Sound and second homer in as many games on the evening. Nix, who went 1-for-4 in the nightcap after finishing 3-for-4 in the earlier completion of Sunday?s suspended game, is batting .431 (22-for-51) in his 14 games with the Sounds. Albuquerque had runners in scoring position with one out in both the fifth and sixth innings but Sounds pitchers worked out of both jams unscathed. The Isotopes were down to their final strike in the bottom of the seventh before breaking through to tie the game against Sarfate, who blew his second save in two opportunities this season. The right-hander issued a walk to the first batter he faced, Ashby. Reed singled with one out to extend his Isotopes franchise-record hitting streak to 19 games. With two outs, Sarfate walked another batter, Kinkade, to load the bases. Chris Aguila then drew a game-tying bases-loaded walk from the right-hander on a 3-2 pitch to even the contest at 3-3. With the bags still full and another three-ball count on the next batter, Sarfate induced a flyout from Tom Wilson to send the game to extras. Nashville leadoff man Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4, notching the Sounds? team-best 35th multiple-hit effort of the season. Sarfate (9-6) picked up the back-door victory as a result of Koonce?s heroics and pulled into a tie with Ben Hendrickson for the team wins lead with his ninth of the year. He worked the bottom of the eighth inning in scoreless fashion to secure the victory. Fernandez allowed two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings of work and was in line for the victory until the late blown save. He took a no-decision in the contest. Brower (5-3) surrendered two runs on three hits in his lone inning of work to take the loss. The Sounds return to Greer Stadium on Tuesday to host the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA-Nationals) in the 6 p.m. opener of a four-game series. The teams have split their previous 12 meetings this season. Hendrickson (9-6, 2.51) will make the start for Nashville on Tuesday. Zephyrs right-hander Kip Bouknight (1-0, 0.00) will provide the opposition. Nashville Game Two Box Score and Game Log: That's a pretty fine 12-game West Coast swing at 6-6 -- good job, Sounds... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_albaaa_1

Details in the AM: Nashville and Albuquerque in extra innings at 3-3, Dennis Sarfate couldn't save it (three walks)... Speaking of walks -- what does it say when your starter and the long man that follows combine to work 1 1/3 innings? Helena lucky to be down only 6-3 after five innings... Omar Aguilar continues to work his way back with Arizona; some innings for Rolando Pascual tonight; Eric Newton's first at-bats since early July; rookie Brewers 2-2 in the 4th; Zach McAngus' name is just too cool...

Final: Tampa (Yankees) 11, Brevard County 7 Maybe it's a good thing Florida State League media coverage is non-existant... Brevard County Box Score and Game Log: Like Billy Hall, Brendan Katin's average when he puts the ball in play must be spectacular - double and triple in this one; remember when RHP Luis Pena was on the 40-man? If you blinked, you missed it... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

Schroeder must be drinking in the booth. He calls this a very good outing by Bush? Bush's wild pitch in the first allowed the Bucs to take the early lead as well. This team is punished for every little thing they do wrong, which is how it should be, as they simply do way too many little things wrong. How many months until we can start reading the quotes about how great a spring training routine Yount and Sveum run?

I want to thank the Brewers for officially allowing me to enjoy the remainder of my vacation this week without any pretense that I should give a rat's butt about them.

Who leads all minor league pitchers in strikeouts? Who (someone else) is # 2 in the Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet? Who is a surprise rookie league name on the sheet? And who are the first two Brewers to make the "Not-So-Hot" portion all season? Linkage: www.baseballamerica.com/t...62218.html

Sunday Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Andrew Beattie: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-13.mp3 Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Hitting Coach Gary Pettis: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-14.mp3

Final: Albuquerque (Marlins) 11, Nashville 2, completion of suspended game Link for new Laynce Nix photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2107 Sounds Thumped By Isotopes, 11-2 ALBUQUERQUE ? The Albuquerque Isotopes scored 11 runs over a three-inning span to saddle an 11-2 loss on the Nashville Sounds on Monday evening at Isotopes Park in the completion of Sunday?s game that was suspended due to rain. The Sounds (64-58) surrendered a double-digit run total for only the fifth time this season but for the second time in the club?s last four games. Every starting Isotopes position player recorded at least one hit, led by three-hit evenings from Mike Kinkade and Matt Cepicky. One positive Nashville could pull out of the lopsided defeat was Jermaine Clark?s 1,000th career minor-league hit, which the infielder recorded with a single off Chris George in the top of the fifth inning. Clark became the second Sound to reach that plateau this season, joining teammate Brent Abernathy. Laynce Nix continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a home run in the contest. The outfielder has posted eight multiple-hit efforts in his first 13 contests for the Sounds. Nashville fell behind 2-0 in the second when Albuquerque left fielder Chris Aguila led off the bottom of the frame with a single against Dana Eveland and scored the game?s first run one batter later on Tom Wilson?s RBI double to center. After a Cepicky double put runner on second and third, Wilson scored on a Nick Trzesniak sacrifice fly. The Isotopes added to the lead in the third when a Vinny Rottino passed ball allowed Kinkade to score from third with two outs to make it a 3-0 contest. After Eveland issued a walk to Wilson to put runners on first and second with two down, the umpires called the teams off the field due to the downpour and the game was eventually suspended. As play resumed on Monday, right-hander Justin Lehr replaced Eveland on the hill and was greeted by a two-run Cepicky double to right that upped the Isotopes' lead to 5-0. Albuquerque put the game away with a six-run fourth against Lehr that extended the lead to 11-0. The inning included a pair of homers: Aguila?s three-run shot, his seventh longball of the year, and a two-run blast by Trzesniak, the catcher?s second tater of the campaign. Nashville got on the board in the top of the fifth when Clark scored on Chris Barnwell?s RBI single against George. Nix slugged his 14th home run of the year to wrap up the scoring in the top of the eighth inning. The two-out solo blast off George was his 14th of the season and third since joining Nashville. First baseman Graham Koonce went 0-for-4 for the Sounds to extend his hitless stretch to 22 at-bats, one shy of Clark?s July mark for the longest 0-fer by a Nashville player this season. George (3-5) earned the victory to improve to 8-2 lifetime against Nashville. He allowed two runs over five innings of work. The southpaw took over for starter Nic Ungs, who worked three scoreless frames on Sunday prior to the suspension. Nashville native Wes Wilkerson tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the victory for the Isotopes. Eveland (3-4) took the loss after allowing five runs on four hits in his 2 2/3 innings on Sunday before coming out of the game at its suspension. The left-hander is winless in his last 14 starts between Nashville and Milwaukee. Lehr gave up season highs of six runs and 11 hits in his 4 1/3 innings of relief work for the Sounds. It marked the second straight outing that the right-hander has surrendered six runs. Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_albaaa_1

Standings through Sunday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 64 57 .529 - 35-25 29-32 W1[/b] Iowa 63 59 .516 1.5 35-27 28-32 L1 Memphis 48 74 .393 16.5 28-35 20-39 W1 Omaha 45 77 .369 19.5 27-33 18-44 L7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 30 20 .600 - 16-9 14-11 L1 [b]Huntsville 26 23 .531 3.5 12-12 14-11 W1[/b] Chattanooga 26 24 .520 4.0 17-13 9-11 W1 West Tenn 24 26 .480 6.0 14-6 10-20 W1 Carolina 22 28 .440 8.0 16-9 6-19 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 28 20 .583 - 19-11 9-9 L1 St. Lucie 28 20 .583 - 14-9 14-11 W3 Palm Beach 27 23 .540 2.0 16-9 11-14 W2 [b]Brevard County 20 28 .417 8.0 9-9 11-19 W1[/b] Jupiter 19 29 .396 9.0 11-13 8-16 L3 Vero Beach 19 30 .388 9.5 11-15 8-15 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 33 16 .673 - 17-5 16-11 W4 Lake County 26 21 .553 6.0 13-11 13-10 L2 Hickory 27 22 .551 6.0 13-15 14-7 W2 Greensboro 25 23 .521 7.5 13-12 12-11 W1 [b]West Virginia 23 26 .469 10.0 12-9 11-17 L3[/b] Hagerstown 20 29 .408 13.0 11-18 9-11 L1 Lexington 19 30 .388 14.0 13-11 6-19 L3 Delmarva 18 30 .375 14.5 11-13 7-17 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 9 6 .600 - 5-2 4-4 W1 [b]Helena 9 6 .600 - 6-2 3-4 W4[/b] Missoula 8 7 .533 1.0 6-2 2-5 L1 Great Falls 4 11 .267 5.0 3-4 1-7 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 11 4 .733 - 5-3 6-1 W1 AZL Royals 10 5 .667 1.0 6-3 4-2 L1 AZL Angels 9 5 .643 1.5 2-0 7-5 L1 AZL Padres 8 5 .615 2.0 5-3 3-2 W1 AZL Athletics 7 8 .467 4.0 6-2 1-6 L2 AZL Mariners 7 8 .467 4.0 5-3 2-5 L1 AZL Cubs 6 9 .400 5.0 2-6 4-3 W2 AZL Rangers 4 10 .286 6.5 3-4 1-6 W1 [b]AZL Brewers 3 11 .214 7.5 3-4 0-7 L1[/b]