Jim Goulart

Final: Orem (Angels) 3, Helena 1 Helena Box Score and Game Log Link: 20-year-old RH starter Amaury Rivas deserved a better fate; Manager Eddie Sedar ejected in the sixth inning after arguing a play at first base; if I'm a West Virginia Power fan (assuming the Brewers extend that affiliation), I'm already a bit concerned about assuming the bulk of this non-descript bunch for 2007 -- that's not being cruel, a few players need to step up here; Rivas pitched out of a 2nd-and-3rd, no-out jam in the 1st... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: Arizona Brewers 4, Arizona Angels 3 Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link: Chances are if you throw strikes in rookie ball, you'll have success, as RHP Wily Peralta did today; OF Andrew Lefave now 16-for-33 with four walks and only two K's in eight pro games -- hit his first HR today; speedster Charlie Iacono learning you can't steal first base (5-for-37, but with seven walks); Brent Brewer 7-for-7 in SB attempts; Jovanny Felix picked off third base on an odd play in the 6th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

Tonight is the second game in a row that Cole Gillespie isn't in the lineup. I feel I missed something... Actually, colbyjack, tonight makes game # 3 in a row...

RHP Wily Peralta, heralded only behind fellow righty's Roque Mercedes (Helena) and Rolando Pascual in the Brewers' plans among recent Latin signings, with three nice innings (thus far) in Maryvale as your "TBD" today.

Huntsville Times: Lefty Jeff Housman underwent shoulder surgery Thursday and is out for the season. He was 1-4 in 11 starts.

Huntsville Times: Lefty Jeff Housman underwent shoulder surgery Thursday and is out for the season. He was 1-4 in 11 starts.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Covering the bases Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times The Stars' team average has slowly climbed, and the offense has been more productive recently. To that end, some leftovers from the Saturday morning conversation on these pages with hitting coach Sandy Guerrero: Guerrero on the slow start: "It never comes easy when you come to a league at this level. Especially when a majority (of this year's team have) come from Class-A level. They've been successful at A-ball, but at this level pitchers are smarter and they throw more pitches on different counts for strikes. That's where the concentration level has to go at its highest. "If you're a linedrive hitter, hit up the middle, hit in the gaps, and you're trying to become a power hitter or a pull hitter. you're not doing what you're supposed to do. You're hitting outside yourself and you're going to hit .220 or .230. "For players who come from lower levels, who have been successful over there, they don't have to change their approach because they came to a higher level. On the contrary, they've got make sure they stay (with the same approach) to be successful." Guerrero on any frustration he's had: "It's not really frustrating. These kids may not be doing what they thought they'd be doing. They thought it'd be easier. But I think they're right on track for what we thought they should be doing, and some of the kids are even higher than what the Brewers' minor league staff thought they would be doing. "Drew Anderson is performing well over here. Steve Moss started struggling because he was hitting out of himself, trying to become this pull hitter, but he has done very well (lately). In those cases you see productivity, there's no reason to feel bad as long as they're getting their work done. Not watching the numbers, but watching how they have progressed." ... Of course, nobody said the hitting woes were cured. The Stars went 18 up, 18 down in six innings of perfect pitching by Carolina's Jose Garcia Friday, before Travis Ezi broke up the no-hitter with only his second hit in 16 at-bats. ... Tim Dillard hasn't won since June 28, going 0-3 with one no-decision. He has given up 18 runs in that four-game stretch, but only nine of them are earned runs. ... The Stars have a deep bench with an extra position player, but pinch-hitters are 15-for-76 this season. ... Ryan Braun ended an 11-game hitting streak Friday. ... How good to see Tony Gwynn Jr. get his chance in the majors, with his call-up to Milwaukee last week. Around the league With the parent Cincinnati Reds needing some pieces of the puzzle to make a pennant chase, there was fear the Chattanooga Lookouts might be raided. Pitcher Travis Chick was indeed traded, but so far Joey Votto has been untouchable. And unstoppable. The Lookouts first baseman is bidding for a Triple Crown. He leads the league with a .327 average and 19 homers and trails only Jacksonville's Craig Brazell (63-59) in RBIs. ... From Jeff Elliott and The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville's slow-footed catcher A.J. Ellis scored the winning run in the 13th inning Friday, lumbering home on a slow roller to first. Said Ellis, "I was thinking get there (home) as fast as I could. ... I was ready to take the catcher out with a hard slide if necessary. I wanted to score and end it. My wife was waiting for me in the stands." ... Until that loss to the Suns, Chattanooga was 9-0 in extra inning games this season. ... Montgomery's Andy Sonnastine has four complete-game shutouts this season and has won seven games in a row, the most recent a two-hitter against West Tenn. ... Only 745 were in attendance at that game, more evidence that baseball's future in Jackson, Tenn., is bleak. Brewings Triple-A Nashville Sounds (55-44 before Saturday's play, first place in Pacific Coast League American Division): OF Nelson Cruz a key RBI single off former Star Derek Lee (now 3-8 at Oklahoma City) in a Friday night win. Single-A Brevard County Manatees (11-16, fourth in Florida State East Division this half): 2B Hernan Iribarren team-leading .321 average, 41 RBIs. Single-A West Virginia Power (12-15, fifth in South Atlantic League Northern Division this half): OF Michael Brantley, son of Blue Jays hitting coach Mickey Brantley, .284, 26 RBIs. Single-A Helena Brewers (12-19, fourth in Pioneer League North) OF Cole Gillespie, the Brewers' No. 3 pick in the recent draft, team-high .396 On deck The Stars open a five-game homestand with Birmingham Monday, then Chattanooga visits for five. Watch out for P Lance Broadway, the No. 8 prospect in the White Sox system, according to Baseball America.

Standings through Saturday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 56 44 .560 - 32-19 24-25 W2[/b] Iowa 51 49 .510 5.0 28-24 23-25 W3 Memphis 40 60 .400 16.0 22-29 18-31 L3 Omaha 40 61 .396 16.5 25-25 15-36 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 17 13 .567 - 10-5 7-8 W1 Tennessee 16 14 .533 1.0 8-7 8-7 W2 West Tenn 16 14 .533 1.0 11-4 5-10 W3 Carolina 12 18 .400 5.0 8-7 4-11 L1 [b]Huntsville 12 18 .400 5.0 5-10 7-8 W1[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 18 9 .667 - 11-6 7-3 L2 St. Lucie 16 11 .593 2.0 9-6 7-5 L1 [b]Brevard County 12 16 .429 6.5 6-5 6-11 W1[/b] Palm Beach 12 18 .400 7.5 6-6 6-12 L1 Vero Beach 11 18 .379 8.0 5-9 6-9 L2 Jupiter 10 18 .357 8.5 6-11 4-7 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 21 9 .700 - 9-2 12-7 W1 Lake County 16 12 .571 4.0 9-5 7-7 L1 Hickory 14 16 .467 7.0 8-12 6-4 L1 Greensboro 13 15 .464 7.0 8-9 5-6 W1 [b]West Virginia 13 15 .464 7.0 7-5 6-10 W1[/b] Hagerstown 12 17 .414 8.5 5-12 7-5 W4 Lexington 11 19 .367 10.0 7-9 4-10 L5 Delmarva 10 18 .357 10.0 5-7 5-11 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 19 12 .613 - 11-4 8-8 W1 Great Falls 16 16 .500 3.5 6-9 10-7 L1 Missoula 14 17 .452 5.0 8-8 6-9 L1 [b]Helena 12 20 .375 7.5 6-11 6-9 L3[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 16 9 .640 - 8-4 8-5 W1 AZL Padres 16 9 .640 - 5-6 11-3 W1 AZL Royals 15 10 .600 1.0 8-4 7-6 L1 AZL Angels 13 12 .520 3.0 10-8 3-4 L1 AZL Mariners 13 12 .520 3.0 8-4 5-8 L1 [b]AZL Brewers 11 13 .458 4.5 5-7 6-6 W2[/b] AZL Athletics 10 15 .400 6.0 5-7 5-8 L2 AZL Cubs 9 16 .360 7.0 5-7 4-9 W3 AZL Rangers 9 16 .360 7.0 5-6 4-10 W1

Follow Sunday'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 Game One: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1 Nashville Game Two: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_2 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Arizona Rookie: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

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

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Jared Fernandez and LHP Zach Jackson in a doubleheader at Oklahoma (Rangers), 5:45 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: Idle Brevard County: TBD at Clearwater (Phillies), 12:05 gametime; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Shawn Ferguson at home vs. Lake County (Indians), 3:55 AM pre-game, 4:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: RHP Amaury Rivas at home vs. Orem (Angels), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 gametime Audio (click on "Listen Live"): www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php Arizona: TBD at home in Maryvale vs. the rookie Angel kids, 12:30 PM Central time, 10:30 AM local, never any web audio for the Arizona League

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

Final: Nashville 6, Oklahoma (Rangers) 1 Nashville stifles Oklahoma Tennessean Staff Reports OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Nashville Sounds held the Oklahoma RedHawks to three hits in their 6-1 win Saturday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. Ben Hendrickson started for Nashville and earned the win, going seven innings and giving up one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Chris Demaria pitched the last two innings and allowed two baserunners on a wild pitch and a hit batter. Nashville's Nelson Cruz put the Sounds on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run. It was his 19th of the season. Cruz finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs. His home run was the only extra-base hit by either team in the game. Oklahoma's lone run came in the third inning when Drew Meyer walked and advanced to second base on a ground out. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Adam Hyzdu. Kameron Loe made a rehab start for Oklahoma and went 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with five walks and two strikeouts. He threw 78 pitches, 41 for strikes. Oklahoma reliever Nick Masset went 3 1/3 innings and gave up two unearned runs on one hit with a walk and four strikeouts. The Sounds are now 11-2 against the RedHawks this season. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m. today at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The first game is a postponed game from June 18. Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

Final: Huntsville 3, Carolina (Marlins) 2, ten innings Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link for Travis Phelps photo, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=933 Stars Survive and Outlast Mudcats in Ten Jeff Eure knocked in the winning run with a ground ball out and Travis Phelps worked out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the tenth inning to preserve Huntsville?s 3-2 win Saturday night in the final game of a five-game set at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. The Stars won twice in the series and are 12-18 in the second half, as are the Mudcats, who had dropped seven of eight entering the series. Huntsville improved to 6-14 in games decided by one-run. Callix Crabbe walked to open the tenth, moved to second on a Ryan Braun single and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Ron Acuna, his first since May 31. Brad Nelson was intentionally walked to load the bases and Eure?s ground out to shortstop Rex Rundgren pushed Crabbe across with the go-ahead run. Eure knocked in six runs in the series, including at least one in all five games. Phelps took over for Joe Valentine, who struck out pinch-hitter J.C. Muniz and Rex Rundgren with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth to grab the win, and walked leadoff man Ryan Bear, who also singled three times. Kevin Randel doubled to move Bear to third base and Brett Carroll was walked to load the bases. Patrick Arlis struck out swinging before pinch-hitter Jonathan Aceves swung at the first pitch and bounced into a game-ending double play. Phelps earned his first save of the season in the Stars? second win in 11 extra inning games. Frank Moore singled with one out in the first inning, stole second and was thrown out trying to score from right field by Ron Acuna after a base hit by Tony Schrager, who finished the series with 10 hits in 17 at-bats. Carolina pushed across the first run of the night when Schrager led off the fourth with a double and scored when Bear singled to right field to knock in his fourth run of the series. The home side loaded the bases with two outs but Stars? starter Corey Thurman worked out of further trouble by retiring Bear on a fielder?s choice on a chopping ground ball hit by Mudcats? starter Manu Olivera, who remained winless since June 5. The Mudcats were turned away again in the fifth when Moore doubled with one out and was thrown out by Acuna again after a two-out single by Bear. Olivera blanked the Stars on three singles through the first six innings before Lou Palmisano doubled with one out in the seventh and moved to third on a Guilder Rodriguez ground out. Olivera was taken out and replaced by Chris Mobley, who was called on to face right-hand hitting pinch-hitter Carlos Lee. The Mudcats? right-hander sent home a 2-0 pitch that hit off the glove of Arlis, the catcher, and allowed Palmisano to score the tying run. Lee singled to left and was replaced by pinch-runner Travis Ezi, who moved to third base on a Randel error and scored the go-ahead run on a beautiful bunt base hit by Crabbe. The Stars are off Sunday and return to action Monday night at home with Stars? left-hander Jorge De La Rosa making his sixth and final rehab start in the opener of a five-game set against Birmingham right-hander Adam Russell. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link: Ron Acuna has a boatload of outfield assists this year; that 10th inning must have been a fantastic call for play-by-play man Brett Pollock -- unfortunately, not archived... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1 Jeff Eure Photo courtesy of Ponderphoto.com via the Stars' site: http://www.huntsvillestars.com/images/news/euret.JPG

Final: Brevard County 10, Clearwater (Phillies) 5 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Manatees double up Threshers Alcides Escobar and Hernan Iribarren led a 15-hit attack as Brevard County beat Clearwater, 10-5, on Saturday at Bright House Networks Field. Escobar went 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Iribarren was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Carlos Corporan also chipped in two hits and two RBIs. Every hitter in the Manatees' lineup had at least one hit, and seven enjoyed multi-hit nights. Brevard County (12-16) scored four runs in the third against starter Julio De La Cruz. With one run in, Brendan Katin hit a grounder to shortstop Brad Harman, who committed two errors that allowed two runs to score and gave the Manatees a 4-2 lead. Harman leads the Florida State League with 31 miscues. Reliever Ben Stanczyk (7-2) picked up the win with three scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks. J.J. Johnson went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for Clearwater (16-12). De La Cruz (4-7) gave up seven runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits and two walks in four innings. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link: Manatee defense spotless with four double plays; the first five in the order all reached three times apiece; only one double, 14 singles for the 'Tees; Freddy Parejo scuffling badly as of late; at least Manny Parra took the mound... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1

Final: West Virginia 9, Lake County (Indians) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER SURGE FOR FIVE IN THE THIRD Angel Salome and Tony Festa hit two-run homers in a five-run third inning for the Power at Appalachian Power Park on Saturday night as the Power went on to defeat the Lake County Captains 9-2. Salome ripped an RBI double in the top of the first inning to score Lorenzo Cain and gave the Power an early 1-0 lead. Cain drove in the first of five runs in the third inning on a sacrifice fly, which preceded the two-run homers from Salome and Festa. Lake County scored both of their runs in the top of the fourth inning. Max Ramirez knocked in Chris Gimenez with an RBI single and Mike Butia scored on Mike Bell?s errant throw. Mat Gamel singled in Cain in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Power added two more runs in the seventh on run-scoring doubles from Cain and Bell. Will Inman (6-1) had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 24, but he only allowed two runs on three hits through five innings to earn the victory, and J.D. Martin (0-1) got the loss. The Power are 52-45 overall and 13-15 in the second half after the win while the Captains fell to 39-53 overall and 16-12 in the second half after the loss. The Power will finish the four-game series against the Captains Sunday evening. Right hander Jim Deters (7-7, 3.62) will make the start for Lake County and the Power will counter with right hander Shawn Ferguson (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM (4:05 Central). ***Link while active, text follows -- www.wvgazette.com/section...2006072228 Not as sharp, but Inman wins again By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer The fastballs began arriving high in the strike zone instead of their customary location at the knees. Power right-hander Will Inman, the hottest pitcher in the South Atlantic League of late, lacked his usual pinpoint control Saturday night and paid a modest price, though not enough to spoil an otherwise productive evening. Inman extended his scoreless streak to 24 innings but allowed three consecutive soft hits ? an opposite-field bloop double, a seeing-eye single that trickled through the infield and a looping single ? that led to two runs in the fourth inning, but the Power pounded out 14 hits in a 9-2 victory over the Lake County Captains at Appalachian Power Park. A crowd of 4,254 attended. Inman, a 19-year-old native of Dry Fork, Va., entered the game with a 1.13 earned run average and 21 consecutive scoreless innings and, through three innings, allowed just a walk. In the fourth, however, he surrendered hits to the first three Captains. Although the hits were eminently unimpressive and were the only ones Inman yielded in five innings, he accepted full blame. After all, he?s an admitted self-critic. ?The fastball was up all night, and that?s when they start getting those chink hits and home runs and line drives and stuff like that,?? said Inman. ?If you get the ball down, they don?t get those chink hits as much. You get a lot of swing-throughs on those, or the batters take, thinking they?re balls.?? After his five-inning stint, Inman discussed his performance with pitching coach John Curtis, and both agreed that pitches down in the strike zone are less likely to result in hits. ?The fastballs came up,?? said Curtis. ?They didn?t hit ?em well, but they just fell in. But he buckled down and got his ground balls.?? In addition to the three hits and two runs, Inman, who missed five weeks with a shoulder injury this season, finished with two walks and five strikeouts, raised his record to 6-1 in 61 innings and kept his ERA at an extraordinary 1.33. ?Our bats were amazing tonight,?? he said, ?and we made good defensive plays, but personally I felt like I had a bad night. I left a lot of fastballs up.?? Despite his success, he?s expected to stay with the Power for the remainder of the season. ?He?s not going anywhere,?? said Curtis. ?We?re committed to him staying here. It?ll give us a better chance to win this thing, and he?s only a youngster. He?s only 19, so he?s in no hurry to go anywhere.?? Curtis recently discussed the matter with Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin. ?When Melvin was here,?? said Curtis, ?he was saying that we like a kid to dominate a league before we graduate him.?? And besides, Inman still needs work on his changeup, a pitch he threw just five times Saturday and never for a strike. In most recent outings, however, it?s been an effective addition to his arsenal. ?He?s probably a changeup away from feasting in the Florida State League,?? said Curtis, referring to the next logical step in Inman?s career. ?I think he could pitch and win there, but we like to develop him further.?? The Power, 13-15 in the second half, scored five runs in the third inning, highlighted by two-run homers by Angel Salome and Tony Festa, and added a run in the fifth and two in the seventh. Salome also had an RBI double in the first. Power points The Power and Captains will play tonight to conclude the homestand. The Power then will play eight games on the road, beginning with a four-game series in Charleston, S.C., starting Monday and continuing in Savannah on Friday. ... Lake County starter J.D. Martin, a first-round draft pick in 2001, pitched in the Class AA Eastern League last year and is making a comeback from Tommy John surgery. ... After the game, area Cub Scouts camped out in the outfield, watched a movie on the videoboard and spent the night. ... Despite only two hits on Friday, the Power entered Saturday?s game with a .274 batting average, best in the South Atlantic League. ... Entering Saturday?s game, the Power had averaged 3,939 fans a game. ... Inman, who is still on a pitch count, threw 78 Saturday. West Virginia Box Score and Game Log Link: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis Power pitcher Will Inman improved to 6-1 but saw his streak of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at 24. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power2.jpg

Final: Orem (Angels) 16, Helena 9 Where's Cole Gillespie gone to? Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...306_03.txt Owlz rout Brewers By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Independent Record Sports Writer Every batter for the Orem Owlz walked Saturday and the Helena Brewers gave up a three-run lead in the bottom of the sixth to lose their third straight, 16-9 at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers pitchers had 14 walks and two hit-by-pitches on the game. Ten of those walks came after the sixth inning. After Steve Palazzolo went three scoreless innings on the Brewers? mound and Helena surpassed the Owlz?s early runs to take an 8-5 lead, Zach Braddock replaced Palazzolo and immediately gave up four walks in the top of the seventh. Chris Toneguzzi came in to relieve, but the Owlz chipped away at the Helena lead, getting five hits and scoring six in the inning. That knocked the wind out of the Brewers? sails. They scored only one more run in the game, a ninth-inning home run by Chris Errecart. ?(The pitchers) let us down quite a bit, actually,? said Brewers manager Ed Sedar. ?Maybe it?s time to make some changes.? While they?ll be looking to improve at the mound, the Brewers have improved at other areas of the diamond. The rest of the Brewers defense were willing to sacrifice their bodies for the ball. In the top of the fourth, Zach Clem leapt into the left field wall to make the catch on a potential double by Ryan Bourjos. Clem staggered away from the wall but stayed on his feet for the rest of the game. In the sixth, Errecart made a diving stop along the first base line and was able to flip the ball to Palazzolo for the out. ?Position players played well, even at the end when we were getting our butts handed to us,? Sedar said. ?At least their not quitting.? At the plate, the Brewers got big hands from Carlos De La Cruz and Errecart. De La Cruz?s doubles in the second and third innings brought three runners across the plate. He also scored twice, getting in on all five of the early runs that tied the game in the third. ?It was a nice job by Carlos, and I expect that from Carlos,? he said. ?He was caught in a Catch-22. He was sent somewhere (last year) where he didn?t get a lot of playing time and he?s just starting to feel his rhythm again.? The third baseman batted over .300 the year before that when he was a star Brewer. Errecart, whose home run in the bottom of the ninth gave the dwindling remnants of Brewers fans a last bit of cheer, went 3-for-4 with a walk and has hit four homers in the last four days. He has recently been fulfilling the role of the clean-up batter. But while the Brewers have made improvements and changes, they have not been able to get all aspects of the game working together. Their season record of 12-20 puts them in last place in the Pioneer League and with his batters and position players showing improvements, he will now have to look at the pitchers. ?I take all the blame,? he said. ?This is my team and whatever I?m trying to do to make them better isn?t working.? The two teams meet again today at 4:05 PM (5:05 Central). Helena Box Score and Game Log Link: Big righty Steve Palazzolo shines among the five pitchers, but he's supposed to be doing that in West Virginia or Brevard; what's happened to Zach Braddock, suddenly pitching like the 18-year-old he is; catcher D.J. Neyens left the game early, a couple of innings after a home plate collision; Zach Clem now 4-for-37 on the season (four singles) -- he's the 11th round pick out of the University of Washington... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Saturday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with LHP Brian Logan, an undrafted signee this spring (Select date for July 22nd, skip to the 11:00 minute mark) -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

Interesting statistical oddities in the Nashville media notes (linked above) today, and, at least for now, Dennis Sarfate is still listed as Tuesday's starter (not in bullpen).

Winnipeg Goldeyes (Independent Northern League) Press Release: Sain Fills Void At First Base What better place to introduce infielder Greg Sain to the Northern League than against Winnipeg's fiercest rivals in their own ballpark. Goldeyes manager Rick Forney announced today the signing of Sain. He joined the club in Fargo last night and is expected to be in the line-up this evening when the Goldeyes face the RedHawks in game two of a four-game series. Sain, 26, arrives after seeing action this season in the Brewers and Yankees organizations, where he batted a combined .168 in 61 games with 10 home runs and 32 runs batted in. Drafted by San Diego in 2001 following his junior year at the University of San Diego, Sain played for five seasons in the Padres system, bating .260 in 548 games with 89 home runs and 334 RBI. He was twice an all-star, including 2004, where he led the Southern League in home runs and helped the Mobile Bay Bears to a share of the league title. I'll do what I can to update the initial post in this thread soon -- long overdue.

Standings through Friday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 55 44 .556 - 32-19 23-25 W1[/b] Iowa 50 49 .505 5.0 27-24 23-25 W2 Memphis 40 59 .404 15.0 22-29 18-30 L2 Omaha 40 59 .404 15.0 25-23 15-36 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 16 13 .552 - 10-5 6-8 L1 Tennessee 15 14 .517 1.0 8-7 7-7 W1 West Tenn 14 14 .500 1.5 9-4 5-10 W1 Carolina 12 17 .414 4.0 8-6 4-11 W1 [b]Huntsville 11 18 .379 5.0 5-10 6-8 L1[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 18 8 .692 - 11-5 7-3 L1 St. Lucie 16 11 .593 2.5 9-6 7-5 L1 Palm Beach 12 17 .414 7.5 6-6 6-11 W1 [b]Brevard County 11 16 .407 7.5 6-5 5-11 L1[/b] Vero Beach 11 17 .393 8.0 5-8 6-9 L1 Jupiter 10 17 .370 8.5 6-10 4-7 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 20 9 .690 - 9-2 11-7 L1 Lake County 16 11 .593 3.0 9-5 7-6 W1 Hickory 14 15 .483 6.0 8-11 6-4 W1 Greensboro 13 15 .464 6.5 8-9 5-6 W1 [b]West Virginia 12 15 .444 7.0 6-5 6-10 L1[/b] Lexington 11 17 .393 8.5 7-7 4-10 L3 Hagerstown 10 17 .370 9.0 5-12 5-5 W2 Delmarva 10 18 .357 9.5 5-7 5-11 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 18 12 .600 - 11-4 7-8 L1 Great Falls 16 15 .516 2.5 6-9 10-6 W1 Missoula 14 16 .467 4.0 8-7 6-9 W1 [b]Helena 12 19 .387 6.5 6-10 6-9 L2[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 15 8 .652 - 7-4 8-4 L2 AZL Padres 15 9 .625 0.5 5-6 10-3 L1 AZL Royals 14 9 .609 1.0 7-4 7-5 L2 AZL Angels 13 11 .542 2.5 10-7 3-4 W1 AZL Mariners 13 11 .542 2.5 8-4 5-7 W1 [b]AZL Brewers 11 13 .458 4.5 5-7 6-6 W2[/b] AZL Athletics 10 14 .417 5.5 5-6 5-8 L1 AZL Cubs 8 16 .333 7.5 4-7 4-9 W2 AZL Rangers 8 16 .333 7.5 5-6 3-10 L1

Brevard County Site Game Summary: Savickas, Jays stop Manatees Russ Savickas and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as Dunedin blanked Brevard County, 1-0, on Friday at Space Coast Stadium. Savickas (3-1) allowed three singles and a walk over six innings in his first scoreless outing since joining the Blue Jays on June 29. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.52 in five starts. Only one batter got past first base against Savickas as Hernan Iribarren walked, stole second and advanced on a wild throw by catcher Robinzon Diaz in the sixth. Po-Hsuan Keng tossed a perfect seventh and Connor Falkenbach yielded a hit in the eighth. Milton Tavarez pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save, tying St. Lucie's Carlos Muniz for the Florida State League lead. The Blue Jays (15-14) scored in the first on doubles by Aaron Mathews and Eric Arnold. Manatees leadoff man Ryan Crew had the only multi-hit game for either squad as he went 2-for-4 with a two-out triple in the eighth. Starter Derek Miller (0-1) took the hard-luck loss, allowing a run on three hits over five innings for Brevard County (11-16). He struck out four and walked two. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006072135 Caps? homers doom Power By Rick Ryan Charleston Gazette Assistant Sports Editor During the eighth inning, someone in the concourse was blowing bubbles and a few of them drifted lazily toward home plate, prompting umpire Jordan Baker to briefly call time. The Power?s bubble, though, had burst long before then, courtesy of three big pops from Lake County?s bats. Mike Conroy blasted a three-run homer in the third inning and the Captains went deep three times Friday night to earn a 7-1 South Atlantic League victory over the Power in front of 3,581 fans at Appalachian Power Park. The win pulls second-place Lake County (16-11) within three games of North Division leader Lakewood in the second half. The Power (12-15), lodged in third, remained seven games out. West Virginia was also held to a season-low two hits for a home game ? both singles ? by a trio of Lake County pitchers, who combined to strike out eight and walk just one. Captains right-hander Jeff Stevens (4-1) permitted just one hit in five innings, a flare to right by Darren Ford in the third, to pick up the win. Mark Jecmen, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound middle reliever, allowed one hit and one run in three innings ? with Lorenzo Cain crossing on Jecmen?s wild pitch. Submariner Randy Newsom worked a 1-2-3 ninth. West Virginia managed just four baserunners against Lake County, which entered the game with the league?s fourth-best team ERA. The Captains retired the side in order six times in nine innings. ?I think when a pitching staff like theirs goes out there and does the job the way they did tonight, you just tip your hat to them,?? said Power manager Mike Guerrero. Guerrero said his team hadn?t seen Stevens previously this season. ?But it?s no matter if you?ve seen them or not,?? he said. ?When they throw the ball the way they did tonight, you just say they did a great job and you come back and battle them tomorrow.?? The Captains had the game on cruise control by the fifth inning, leading 5-0 after solo shots from Max Ramirez in the second and Chris Gimenez in the fifth to go along with Conroy?s three-run poke. All came off Power starter Rafael Lluberes (4-6). It was an all-or-nothing night for Conroy, who also fanned three times, giving him 98 whiffs in 90 games. He?d earned a promotion to Kinston in the high-A Carolina League last year, but after hitting .241 in 61 games was brought back to Lake County this year. Ramirez was making his Captains debut after coming over from Rome, the Atlanta Braves? Sally League affiliate. A catcher, Ramirez was traded to the Indians organization Thursday for closer Bob Wickman. Lluberes, who yielded five earned runs in his five innings, saw his ERA jump from 3.54 to 3.86. He struck out six and walked three. For the season, Lluberes had now been touched for a team-high nine homers, but he?s also worked a team-high 86 1/3 innings. ?He had a rough outing tonight,?? Guerrero said. ?He?s got to learn from the mistakes he made. That?s all he can do now. Recall his mistakes and try to fix it for his next outing.?? West Virginia scored its lone run in the sixth as Cain stroked a sharp single with one out, stole second base, moved to third on Angel Salome?s groundout and scored on Jecmen?s wild pitch. Lake County answered with two more in the eighth off reliever Ryan Marion, getting back-to-back RBI doubles by P.J. Hiser and Matt Fornasiere. The two teams play the third game of their four-game series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). Power ace right-hander Will Inman (5-1, 1.13 ERA) will be opposed by Captains righty J.D. Martin, who makes his first start.

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...206_07.txt Owlz tap Brewers By TOM COTTON - Helena Independent Record Sports Editor In Friday?s arms race between the Helena Brewers and the Orem Owlz, the Owlz had just a few more weapons at their disposal. Orem and Helena engaged in a pitchers duel at Kindrick Legion field and the Owlz came out on top with a 3-1 win. ?The pitchers did a great job keeping us in the game, unfortunately their pitchers did a little better,? said Helena manager Ed Sedar. Orem skipper Tom Kotchman emptied out his bullpen, using five pitchers in the win, but the quintet allowed just seven hits in the contest. Trevor Bell, a first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2005, went six innings to pick up the win. He yielded just one run in his stint on the mound. That tally came in the second inning, when Chris Errecart blasted a solo shot. It was his fourth of the season and his third in the last three days. Helena?s other major offensive threat came in the seventh inning with Helena trailing 3-1. With one out, J.R. Hopf stroked a double and that was followed up by a walk to Jordan Swaydan. After Bill Rowe flew out to left field, Fredy De La Cruz also induced a free pass from Owlz reliever Felipe Arredondo. However, the rally would fall just short as Brad Miller blasted a shot to left field that settled into the glove of Chris Pettit at the warning track. After scoring 10 runs on Wednesday, the Brewers have strung together just three scores in the last two games. ?When we step to the plate, we need to have a plan,? Sedar said. ?Sometimes we get in a hurry and abandon it right away.? While Helena?s offense has sputtered recently, the Owlz also had trouble bringing runners home. Ryan Mount led off the game with a double and later came home on a fielders choice. The only other two Orem runs came in the third when Louis Rivera lofted a sacrifice fly to score Peter Bourjous and Pettit launched a home run to left field. Helena?s Jose Beltre was the hard-luck loser, working four sold innings. Brae Wright and Travis Wendte combined for five scoreless innings that saw Orem produce just one hit. ?They attacked the zone,? said Brewers pitching coach Mark Littell. ?They got the batters out on their front feel. They just pitched.? Errecart and Rowe each had two hits for Helena. Tadd Brewer was the only Owl to manage two hits. The loss dropped Helena 6 1/2 games behind Billings in the North Division standings. The two teams will play in the second game of a three game set tonight at Kindrick-Legion Field. First pitch will be at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). Jon Ebelt, Helena Independent Record Staff Photographer - Helena Brewer first baseman Bill Rowe, left, makes a great stretch, but the ball just isn?t there in time as Orem?s Darrell Sales records a base hit Friday at Kindrick Legion Field. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2006/07/22/sports_top/b01072206_07.jpg

Friday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with SS Brad Miller (Select date for July 21st, skip to the 6:30 minute mark) -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp