Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006072036 Inman: Man in control Power pitching prospect racking up nice numbers By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer When Power right-hander Will Inman delivers a pitch, hitters sometimes seem tentative. From his vantage point in the dugout, Power pitching coach John Curtis has noticed. ?Based on the swings the hitters are taking, I don?t think they?re picking up the ball very well,?? said Curtis, who pitched in the big leagues for 15 seasons. A deceptive motion can be a wonderful asset for a pitcher, particularly if he follows it with a 90-mph fastball at pinpoint locations and a good curveball. Thus far, the 19-year-old Inman has been doing precisely that. Although he missed five weeks because of an injury, his numbers this season have been eye-catching: His earned-run average is 1.13 for 14 games, including 11 starts; he has not allowed a run in his last 21 innings; in 56 innings this season, he has struck out 69, surrendered just 42 hits and issued only 11 walks; he has not allowed more than three hits in any of his last four starts. In Charleston?s 19 years as a South Atlantic League member, the club has averaged nearly one future major-league pitcher for every season, ranging from John Courtright and his one-inning relief stint with the Reds in 1995 to Trevor Hoffman and his likely Hall of Fame career. Rarely, if ever, has a Wheeler, Alley Cat or Power pitcher achieved Inman?s statistical dominance, and he?s doing it with only one season of professional experience ? at Helena of the Pioneer League last year ? and, unlike many of his Class A counterparts, he went straight from high school to the professional ranks and thus did not benefit from collegiate experience. Inman?s blend of youth, control, stuff and mindset make him a good candidate to eventually take the final step up the professional baseball ladder. ?He?s a definite prospect,?? said Curtis. ?Everybody who has seen his early development projects him to be a starter.?? For now, Inman has been baffling Class A hitters with fastballs on the corners, two-strike curveballs and an exaggerated shoulder turn and arm angle that pose an additional challenge for a hitter. ?You don?t see the ball until he?s in his release position,?? said Curtis. Whether more experienced hitters in future seasons adapt to the deception will be a factor in Inman?s continued development, of course. In the meantime, he and Curtis also have been tinkering with a two-seam fastball that tails away from left-hand hitters, as well as a changeup. But his command of the fastball is the foundation of his early success. ?He can pretty much ?dot the I? when he?s right,?? said the Power pitching coach. Added catcher Angel Salome: ?His control is kind of perfect right now.?? A 6-foot, 200-pound native of Dry Branch, Va., near Martinsville, Inman used his God-given talent to set a Virginia high school strikeout record with 599 in 252 innings and rarely allowed a run in four years. He was Milwaukee?s No. 2 selection (taken in the third round) of the 2005 draft and, after a shaky beginning, continued his success at Helena, where he finished with a 6-0 record, a 2.00 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 45 innings. In one of his first appearances at Helena, however, he was roughed up for four home runs and seven runs in one inning. He made the mistake of thinking that the hard-throwing approach he used in high school would be enough to overpower professional hitters. ?I learned real quick,?? he said, ?that the philosophy I had in high school wasn?t as dominant [in pro baseball] as it was in high school.?? Once he learned that lesson, he began his development as a pitcher. ?For a youngster, he has terrific control,?? said Curtis. ?He can spot his fastball on both sides of the plate. He gets his fastball up there at 90-92 [mph]. And when you combine the terrific control with the deception in his delivery with his arm angle, he?s intimidating.?? Inman?s season in Charleston was disrupted by a shoulder injury, which kept him out of action from May 21 through June 24. Since then, his pitch count has been somewhat limited, though he?s expected to throw between 85 and 95 pitches in Saturday night?s scheduled start against Lake County at Appalachian Power Park. In addition to his velocity, control, command, competitiveness and deceptive delivery, Inman is a severe self-critic who sets high standards for himself. ?He?s a nice little package right now,?? said Curtis. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis Power pitcher Will Inman works on fielding bunts during pregame drills Thursday. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Inman.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200607211 Power rallies for 5-4 win By Nick Scala Charleston Gazette Staff writer Mike Bell cleared his head, forgot about the recent past and addressed the task at hand. Mired in a 2-for-25 slump, the West Virginia Power shortstop hit a seeing-eye single in the bottom of the ninth inning to drive home the winning run in the Power?s 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Lake County Captains Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. The Power trailed 4-1 in the seventh but put up single runs in the seventh and eighth innings and scored two in the ninth to win it. Mat Gamel?s line drive to right scored the tying run and preceded Bell?s game-winner. Bell was hitless in four previous at bats Thursday and went 0-for-3 in the Power?s previous game, a 10-5 win at Lexington Tuesday. He was 2-for-25 dating back to last Thursday. This Thursday, though, he emerged as the Power hero. ?I like hitting in that spot with the game on the line,? Bell said. ?You?ve got to let the rest of the day go, let all the other days go and concentrate on that at bat.? Home runs by P.J. Hiser and Juan Valdez, both off Power starter Steve Garrison, helped stake Lake County to a 4-1 lead. But the Power chipped away at the deficit on Darren Ford?s sacrifice fly in the seventh and Tony Festa?s RBI single in the eighth. Winning pitcher Kevin Roberts (5-9) pitched a perfect ninth to keep the Power close. Ford led off the decisive frame with a high chopper over Lake County third baseman Nick Petrucci?s head. As the ball squirted around in shallow left, the speedy Ford never stopped and turned the hit into a double. ?I was thinking either double or I?m gonna steal the bag if I had to hold at first,? said Ford. ?I know we?ve got good hitters behind me and I?m the tying run, so I needed to get into scoring position.? That position was enhanced when the next hitter, Lorenzo Cain, dropped down a bunt in front of Lake County pitcher Matt Davis (1-7). Davis tried to get Ford at third, but his throw was too late, putting Power runners on the corners with no outs. After Cain advanced to second on a passed ball, Angel Salome was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gamel followed with a soft liner that dropped in front of right fielder Mike Conroy. Ford scored easily, but Cain, thinking the ball might be caught, held up near second base for too long and was forced out at third for the first out of the inning. Salome, getting a better read on the hit, made it safely to second. Instead of being credited with a hit, Gamel merely got an RBI fielder?s choice. ?That?s OK, we won the game, that?s the important thing,? Gamel said. ?I was just looking for a pitch I could handle and get it to the outfield and score Darren, which isn?t too difficult because he?s so fast.? Bell then bounced his single between shortstop and third base, and Salome raced home from second to end it and improve the Power to 12-14 in the second half and 47-37 overall. Lake County, 15-11 in the second half, is 38-52 overall. The second game of the four-game series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) pits Power lefty Rafael Lluberes (4-5, 3.54 ERA) against Lakewood right-hander Jeff Stevens (3-1, 5.81). Briefly Roberts, who opened the season in the starting rotation but switched to the bullpen, matched the team high in wins also shared by Will Inman, Dane Renkert and Patrick Ryan. Roberts? nine losses are the most on the staff. ... Lake County?s Johnny Drennen, who hit a home run off Roger Clemens in the future Hall of Famer?s rehabilitation start prior to rejoining the Astros? rotation, was promoted to Cleveland?s advanced Class A team in Kinston, N.C., before Thursday?s game. ... Defensive gems turned in by the Power included a diving stop at first base by Festa in the second inning, robbing Marshall Szabo of a double, and Cain?s running catch at the wall in the right-field corner with Lake County runners at first and third with two outs in the eighth inning.

Miscellaneous pre-game notes from the Charleston media: The Power played only ten home games in June and the four-game set with Lake County will bring the July number to ten. In August, West Virginia has 21 home games ... The Power is 26-17 at home, 24-27 on the road ... The Power's average home attendance is 3,914 ... Ned Yost and catcher Angel Salome have reached base in 26 consecutive home games. Salome has an active 19-game hitting streak at home ... Power left fielder Lorenzo Cain and Salome rank in the top five in the SAL in hits, with 107. The Charleston club record, since low Class A baseball arrived in 1987, is 150 by Bobby Perna in 1992. Power right-hander Will Inman, who owns a 1.13 earned run average and a streak of 21 scoreless innings, is scheduled to start Saturday. Inman won BC Powder South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week honors with 10 scoreless innings in two outings, during which he yielded just six hits and struck out 11. If the game had continued beyond the 16th inning Monday night in Lexington, the Power might have sent catcher Brad Wilcutt to the mound. Power pitching coach John Curtis said it was a possibility. But Lexington?s Mitch Einertson ended the discussion with a grand slam to give the Legends a 5-1 victory in 16 innings. Catcher Angel Salome?s 12-game hitting streak came to an end in Monday?s game. Outfielder Michael Brantley?s nine-game streak ended Tuesday.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006072029/ Power's Yost proves he can play Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor Ned Yost isn't only a manager's son. He's the manager's son. So, when the Milwaukee baseball farmhand and son of Brewers Manager Ned Yost spent almost the first month of the South Atlantic League season batting under .200, some Appalachian Power Park regulars put two and two together and came up with a nepotism theory. Well, it turns out Yost not only can hit but also can play. The West Virginia Power first baseman plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He's a professional, and not just because he's being paid. He plays like he's been around the game his whole life ... he has, of course. "I've always thought it's been an advantage," Yost said, when asked whether being a Major League skipper's son raised expectations or helped him grasp what it takes. "I've been around the game and the ballpark since I was so young, it has to rub off. "When my dad was a (bullpen, then third base) coach in Atlanta (1991-2002), and since he's been managing in Milwaukee, I've gotten a chance to meet players, be around the clubhouse and just observe. You see how they act. You see how they prepare. "You learn a lot just by watching them." Not every kid gets to be a bullpen catcher for the All-Star Game, which Yost was in 2000 at Turner Field in Atlanta. The night before, at the Home Run Derby exhibition, Sammy Sosa won. Yost was a catcher. Yost, 24, also is a good listener. He often is the first Power player in the batting cage daily, and he takes the instruction and tips from hitting coach Mike Lum about "staying back, seeing the ball better, maintaining proper mechanics." On May 3, Yost was hitting .188. After a big May (.366), he has maintained his consistency at the plate, and is batting .297. He recently had a club-high 13-game hitting streak, and was over .300 until going 0-for-7 in Monday's 16-inning loss at Lexington. As the Power opens a four-game home series tonight against Lake County, Yost seems to have settled in. He batted .302 in his pro debut last season at short-season Helena, and said a possible reason for his success there was some keen observing, again. Yost attended three colleges, transferring from Georgia (a redshirt year and two seasons) to Dallas Baptist (Division I independent) to Division III power Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He was primarily a catcher in college. Last spring, after his senior year at Oshkosh, he chose to sign with Milwaukee instead of waiting to be drafted (a fifth-year senior can do that), although Cincinnati and Florida also showed interest. He reported to extended spring training in Arizona in late May. "Those extra 2-3 weeks I was there (before the draft signees, including many of his current Power teammates) came in gave me a chance to get my feet wet and get the feel of the difference between college and pro baseball," Yost said. "It can be a tough adjustment. And when the (Pioneer League) season started, I think it helped me. It was quite a difference from Division III college ball. I think signing early definitely played a part in my season last year. "Signing early was a tough decision. My dad and I talked about it, and I could have waited, and I felt I would have been drafted. But the Brewers were interested, made me an offer, and so I went ahead and signed. As I look back on it, it was a good thing for me." It's pretty apparent Yost loves the hitters' park that is Appalachian Power Park. The Mississippi-born first baseman is batting .348 at home, and only .253 on the road. The right-handed-hitting Yost has 35 of his 44 RBI at Power Park, too. "It will be good to get home because we've been on the road an awful lot," Yost said. "It's tougher in other ballparks, and I think that's one reason we haven't played as well (11-14 SAL second-half start, after 39-30 first half). "We're getting close to 100 games now (94) and that's more than most of us have ever played in a season. I think it might be a little bit of that, too, but we always seem to be in the game, and I think we'll be around at the end in the race."

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...106_06.txt Owls pound out 19 hits against Brewers By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Independent Record Sports Writer The Helena Brewers couldn?t get a scoring streak going while every one of the Orem Owlz recorded a hit in their 9-2 win at Kindrick Legion Field Thursday. The Owlz had 19 hits overall, including a two-run homer by P.J. Phillips in the seventh. Meanwhile, their pitchers allowed eight hits against, walking just two. ?Their pitchers always have a plan and they obviously had a plan against our hitters, we didn?t make adjustments,? said Brewers skipper Ed Sedar. ?They had their plans and they executed them well.? The tough Orem hurlers kept the Brewers from scoring until the seventh inning, when Bobby Cassevah gave up both walks. Zach Clem was the first to walk on and would make it home off a double down the left field line by Taylor Green. Green scored the final run for the Brewers when Cole Gillespie was able to bloop a hit into shallow right field. Cassevah had entered in the top of the sixth for David Herndon, the Owlz starter who had five hits in the five innings. ?Your momentum everyday is as good as your starting pitcher, and our starting pitcher today had a good sinker going,? said Owlz manager Tom Kotchman. While Herndon didn?t allow much on base, he had only one strike out when he caught Clem looking in the fifth. The rest of the outs were left up to the defense, who stopped a Brewers team that has recently been connecting well at the plate. ?Their third baseman made at least three plays that you could see on Plays of the Day,? Sedar said. In fact, Owlz third baseman Phillips made four throws to first to get the runner out, including a stop in the sixth when he caught Chuckie Caufield?s slow bouncer and the throw nearly tied the runner. Sedar left his spot at the coach?s box at third to argue the play but the call was kept. The Brewers, meanwhile, showed strength on defense until the Owlz began placing hits between their players. Second baseman Green and catcher D.J. Neyens teamed up to pick off a potential run. In the second inning, Neyens threw a sharp throw to second to try to get a stealing Scott Knazek. He wasn?t able to get there for the tag, but Green was able to rifle a throw back to catch Abel Nieves attempting to steal home. The play kept Orem?s lead to 1-0 until the fourth inning when the Owlz started placing hits just beyond the reach of Helena?s defense. The Owlz scored three that inning when the bottom of their line up hit four straight balls to right field. ?We?ve still got guys diving, still got guys running in a great backup position, (Orem) just outplayed us in all aspects of the game,? Sedar said. Orem's three-run fourth came off four straight hits to right field where they kept Helena?s Caufield busy. Neives doubled, Knazek brought him in with a single and Darell Sales doubled when a low-hit fly fell just inside the right line. Sales scored Knazek and Doug Reinhart would blast a high sacrifice fly to bring Sales in for the final run. Orem?s big hitting was a surprise to Kotchman. The Owlz have the lowest team batting average in the Pioneer League with a .237. Their pitchers, meanwhile, top the stats list. Herndon had the win for the Owlz while Chris Jean had the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits. The Brewers (12-18) are fourth in the Pioneer League?s North Division and tied for last overall, sharing it with Casper. The Owlz (17-13) is second in the South Division, while Billings is the only team with more wins in the North with 18. The Brewers and Owlz will meet again today at Kindrick Legion Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

Thursday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Outfielder, but now First Baseman Chris Errecart (Select date for July 20th, skip to the 15:45 minute mark) -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

"You've got to tip your hat to [Gallardo]," said Carolina Mudcats manager Luis Dorante. He was throwing fastballs by our hitters and we couldn't catch up with it."

Not an official disabled list transaction as of yet, but as mentioned in the Brendan Katin feature article: Brevard County recently sent outfielder Hasan Rasheed home to recover from a staph infection.

Not an official disabled list transaction as of yet, but as mentioned in the Brendan Katin feature article: Brevard County recently sent outfielder Hasan Rasheed home to recover from a staph infection.

Link while active, text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...10342/1002 Manatees slugger progressing as a hitter BY SCOTT BROWN FLORIDA TODAY The size 14 shoes he can just squeeze his feet into look like they might have trouble fitting into the batter's box. But Brendan Katin has dug in quite nicely at the plate in his first full season as a professional. The Brevard County Manatees' outfielder/designated hitter leads the team in home runs (10), RBI (56) and doubles (26) while batting .280. And the former University of Miami star can only wonder what his power numbers might be if he played his home games in a smaller stadium and in a more hitter-friendly league. "There's a lot of balls I've hit here that would have been home runs at, say, Vero Beach," Katin said Thursday before the Manatees beat the Dunedin Blue Jays 5-0 in front of an announced crowd of 4,809 at Space Coast Stadium. "This is the kind of league I need to be in to develop into the kind of hitter I want to be." The right-handed hitter usually finds himself facing a wind blowing in from left field (not to mention a pitcher) when he bats at Space Coast Stadium. That has encouraged Katin to use the entire field instead of trying to pull the ball all the time. That approach has no doubt facilitated his development -- Katin is fourth in the Florida State League in doubles and he played in the FSL's All-Star game last month -- though Manatees manager Ramon Aviles would like to see him be more aggressive at times. "I feel like he guesses too much at that plate," Aviles said, adding that Katin has the tendency to sit on breaking balls and hence get fooled by fastballs. "We tell the guys what gets you to the big leagues is the ability to hit the fastball." Aviles said too many of his players are not doing that, which is one reason why the Manatees entered Thursday eight games out of first place in the FSL's East Division. A lack of timely hitting is far from Aviles' only concern. Brevard County (11-15) recently sent outfielder Hasan Rasheed home to recover from a staph infection, leaving Aviles with a depleted bench. Also, three Manatees starting pitchers are on strict pitch counts (no more than 65 a game), and that has led to an overworked bullpen. Jeremy Lewis, for example, pitched four innings in relief Tuesday night in Brevard County's 2-1 win over Dunedin, and Joe Thatcher tossed three innings Wednesday night for the Manatees. "Sometimes I've been praying for rain so we can have the night off and my bullpen can get a rest," Aviles said. What the Manatees need to get into the playoff race is for their hitters to be on more nights than not, Aviles said. That includes Katin, a Fort Myers native who was a 23rd-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2005 amateur draft and split last season between advanced rookie ball and low-A West Virginia. He has been solid all season for Brevard County, and Aviles said his numbers could be even better if he simplified his approach at the plate and looked more for fastballs. Effort, Aviles said, is not an issue with Katin. "He's one of the first guys here every day," Aviles said. "He's a great kid and a hard-working guy." And, like his teammates, he is a work in progress.

Brevard County Site Game Summary: Manatees blank Blue Jays Josh Wahpepah and Robert Hinton combined on a five-hitter as host Brevard County blanked Dunedin, 5-0, on Thursday. Wahpepah (5-5), who had lost his previous two starts, yielded four hits, walked one and struck out two over five innings. The 6-foot-4 right-hander loaded the bases with one out in the second, but got Chris Gutierrez to ground into a double play. Hinton tossed the final four frames to earn his second save. He permitted one hit, walked one and struck out six as the Manatees (11-15) recorded their third shutout this month. Charlie Fermaint hit his sixth homer with two outs in the first to stake Wahpepah to an early lead. Carlos Corporan delivered an RBI single in the second and Hernan Iribarren singled home Brendan Katin the following inning. Iribarren was 3-for-4, while Steven Sollmann collected two hits and drove in two runs for Brevard County (11-15), which totaled 12 hits. Blue Jays starter Billy Carnline (3-2) took the loss after allowing five runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits while striking out three over five-plus innings. Eric Nielsen hit his 10th double for Dunedin (14-14), which has lost four of its last five. -- Louice Thomas/MLB.com

Final: Orem (Angels) 9, Helena 2 We're just not used to seeing this little thump (and wins) out of a Brewer advanced rookie league team... Helena Box Score and Game Log Link: The Owlz were a-hackin' -- 19 hits, one walk; Taylor Green three hits, including two doubles -- only three of 29 base hits prior to tonight were for extra bases; Brewers pulled off three double plays; other than Stephen Chapman all season (and Cole Gillespie's 6-for-6 game stat-inflating stint), nobody is making us take note as a standout or breakout guy... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: West Virginia 5, Lake County (Indians) 4 Walkoff single for Mike Bell... West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER COME BACK TO BEAT CAPTAINS The Lake County Captains had a 4-1 lead over the West Virginia Power through six innings of Friday night?s game at Appalachian Power Park, but the Power scored the final four runs of the game, including two in the ninth inning to win in their at bat, defeating the Captains 5-4. Kenny Holmberg ripped a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second inning to give the Power an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the third inning, Chris Gimenez drove in Juan Valdes on a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and on the next pitch P.J. Hiser hit his fifth home run of the season to give the Captains a 2-1 lead. Lake County added a pair in the fourth inning on a two-run homer from Juan Valdes to go up 4-1. Down 4-1, the Power started their comeback in the seventh inning when Darren Ford knocked in Tony Festa on a sacrifice fly, and Festa delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning to bring the Power within one. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mat Gamel reached on a fielder?s choice and knocked in Ford to tie the game. One batter later, Mike Bell delivered the game-winning RBI single to complete the comeback. Kevin Roberts (5-9) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the victory, and Matt Davis (1-7) got the loss. The Power are 51-44 overall and 12-14 in the second half after the win while the Captains fell to 38-52 overall and 15-11 in the second half after the loss. The Power will continue the four game series against the Captains Friday night. Right hander Jeff Stevens (3-1, 5.81) will make the start for Lake County and the Power will counter with left hander Rafael Lluberes (4-5, 3.54). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score and Game Log Link: Angel Salome and Tony Festa reach three times apiece; Wil Laureano a fine relief stint; things looked bleak after eight innings when that inning's rally fell one run short as a Captain reliever shut the door with one out and the bases jammed... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Brevard County 5, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 0 Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link: Much-needed solid stint for Josh Wahpepah, and folks have already noted Robert Hinton's work elsewhere tonight; game played in a tidy 128 minutes; Hernan Iribarren was 4th in the league in batting average heading into tonight's game -- his 3-for-4 effort won't hurt; Wahpepah gets the bases-loaded GIDP in the 2nd... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

Wedesday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Minor League Pitching Coordinator Jim Rooney (Select date for July 19th, skip to the 12:00 minute mark) -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

Final: Huntsville 9, Carolina (Marlins) 0 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=930 Gallardo Goes Six Scoreless in Stars' Win Yovani Gallardo worked six scoreless innings and Ryan Braun hit for three quarters of the cycle, as Huntsville pounded out 15 hits in a 9-0 blanking of Carolina in the middle game of a five-game set at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. The Stars snapped a five-game losing streak to improve to 11-17 in the second half, while the Mudcats fell to 11-17 in the second half and saw their modest two-game win streak brought to an end. The Stars have won 12 of their 35 games this season by seven runs or more. Gallardo allowed five singles and only one runner to reach third base in tossing scoreless baseball for the third time in five starts at the double-A level. The right-hander fanned nine, including seven over his last three frames of work, walked one and nailed down his first win at the double-A level. He has given up earned runs in only one of his five turns. The Stars had lost each of Gallardo?s first four starts and had scored only four runs in those games. Travis Phelps, who gave up four runs on two hits and four walks in two-thirds of an inning his last outing on Sunday, tossed two scoreless frames, allowing one hit and striking out three. Chris Mabeus completed the shutout with a scoreless ninth. Braun started the scoring against Mudcats? starter Trevor Hutchinson, in his third stint with Carolina, with a solo home run to straight away center field with two outs in the first. The right-hander blanked the visitors over the next two frames before Ron Acuna led off the fourth inning with a triple and scored when Braun followed with a double. Huntsville tacked on another run in the fifth on a Steve Moss ground out that scored Guilder Rodriguez to push the advantage to 3-0. Braun singled to start the sixth and stayed there until scoring on a two-out double by J.C. Boscan, who had his first three-hit game of the year and first multiple RBI game of the season. Callix Crabbe followed with a single to score Boscan, moved to second base on the throw to the plate and scored to make it 6-0 on a single by Gallardo, who knocked in his first run with the Stars and knocked Hutchinson out of the game. The Mudcats? right-hander, recovering from rotator cuff surgery, was charged with six runs, five earned, on ten hits and suffered the loss to fall to 0-2. The Stars collected ten hits or more for a 12th time in the second half of the season after doing so 12 times in 69 games in the first half. Jeff Eure and Boscan singled home runs in the eighth inning and Crabbe chased home a run with a fielder?s choice grounder in the ninth. Moss and Brad Nelson were the only position players to not pick up at least one hit, while Acuna, Eure and Rodriguez each had two hits. The series continues Friday night with Stars? right-hander Tim Dillard taking the hill against Mudcats? right-hander Jose Garcia. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 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: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1

Link while active, text follows: www.tillsonburgnews.com/s...?id=242899 ?Older? Meyers in news again By Jeff Tribe, Tillsonburg (Ontario, Canada) News Staff Writer What was old, is news again for Tillsonburg native Mike Meyers. ?You learn something new every day,? laughed the 28-year-old Nashville Sounds baseball pitcher Monday afternoon from his ?home? apartment. Saturday evening, Meyers shared in the first no-hitter recorded in the Pacific Coast League this season. Sounds starter Carlos Villanueva went six innings in his first AAA outing before giving way to Meyers, who kept the ?no-no? going for two more, striking out three batters in the process. Alex Zumwalt came on to close out a 2-0 victory over the Memphis Redbirds while recording his eighth save of the season. ?It was kind of neat to be a part of that,? said Meyers, whose last no-hitter experience came in a seven-inning tournament game as a London Badger midget. ?A couple of years ago,? he agreed with a laugh. ?Every day you go out there, something new happens.? A decade into his professional career, baseball still holds fresh experiences and opportunities for the 6?2?, 210-pound right-handed pitcher. This season began with an invitation to the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Canada, to share in arguably his nation?s greatest international baseball triumph, a round-robin upset of the host United States. ?It was just fun to be a part of,? said Meyers of the entire tournament in general, and the victory over the U.S. in particular. The original gameplan had simply to be competitive with the prohibitive favourites, a plan that changed as the game progressed. ?All of a sudden, we started throwing runs on the board,? said Meyers. ?One of the highlights of the tournament,? he added. The whole experience, from sharing a clubhouse with Canadian MLB stars, to working three innings himself (giving up a total of three runs), to sharing diamonds with baseball?s ?best of the best of the best?, was one that for Meyers, ranks second only to his Pan-American bronze medal victory in 1999. ?It was a great experience.? The World Baseball Classic also may have provided Meyers a springboard into the 2006 season. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs with whose organization he spent six years, prior to a season with the New York Mets, Meyers signed his second one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers organization in November of last year. ?They treated me well,? he explained. With that detail taken care of and two weeks of pre-spring training training behind him, Meyers? transition to full-time pitching was smooth. ?I felt like I was in the game, right as soon as I got there.? Last year, his first three weeks had been at the AA level, but this year Meyers headed to the AAA Sounds right from Maryvale, Arizona. He has started three games this season but has assumed more of a long relief, coming out of the bullpen role. ?You have a shot to get in there every night,? said Meyers. ?So it kind of keeps you on your toes.? He is not a pure power pitcher, but still runs 90 mile-per-hour fastball up to home plate. ?Curve, slider,? he added. ?Mix it up - and still getting strikeouts, which is nice.? Meyers is focussed more on pitching well than his statistical line. For the record, Meyers has a 3-4 won-lost mark with a 3.64 ERA in 54.1 innings of work across 22 games including three starts. He has surrendered 45 hits, walked 22 and hit two battsmen while striking out 53. ?Offensively?, he bats in the games against National League minor league teams. ?I do know that stat,? he laughed. ?I think I?m 0-for-12.? Typically, Sounds crowds range from 8-9,000 and are fully behind their team. ?You can?t beat it,? said Meyers. The fans have had lots to cheer about with a Nashville team currently on a four-game winning streak, 51-42 overall (.548 winning percentage) and in first place in the PCL?s American North Division, three full games up on Iowa. ?A good team to be on,? said Meyers. ?A lot of guys from different places, but everybody?s pretty cool.? Life in Nashville has required a modest adjustment. A dedicated hard-rock fan (Korn in particular), Meyers has to search to avoid the prevailing musical mood. ?You flip the stations on the FM dial, there?s a country music station on the whole time,? he laughed. Separation from his family has been a more serious challenge. During the ball season, he lives in an apartment with three teammates. In the off-season he will rejoin wife Mindy and one-year-old son Brody, who live near her family in Quad Cities, Illinois. ?The family situation kind of sucks,? admitted Meyers, who enjoyed the all-star break with the two of them and looks forward to reuniting on a full-time basis as soon as the ball season is over. Living apart from his loved ones is the toughest part of the equation, he added. ?You try to take advantage of the off-season as much as possible.? Adjustments and sacrifices aside, Meyers is still taking advantage of an opportunity to make a living in a profession the great majority of citizenry can only dream about, well outside the realm of the standard ?nine-to-five? routine. ?I?m not accustomed to that yet,? he laughed. ?Hopefully I can put that off a couple of more years.? Meyers, like his compatriots, hopes that ?couple of more years? includes a call-up to the major leagues. ?That would be awesome, everybody?s looking for that. It?s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.? Currently, he remains focussed on his best route to his ?right place?. ?I just want to keep going out there and throwing up good numbers and see what happens after that,? he said. And in the meantime, the journey toward an ongoing dream has proven Nashville to be a pretty good - temporary at least - destination. ?This year I?m just having a good time,? Meyers concluded. ?I don?t really imagine doing anything else that would be this much fun. It?s going well."

In the Huntsville game, Ryan Braun already 2-for-2 with a home run to center and an RBI double, now hitting safely in 11 straight games -- nice (listening to Brett's call tonight). In Brevard, Charlie Fermaint hitting in the # 3 spot and with home run # 6. Lefty Steve Garrison with two scoreless innings thus far for the Power.

Brevard County Press Release: Link, text follows -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Alcides Escobar To Receive Brewers June Award On Thursday, July 20th, before the Dunedin Blue Jays vs. Brevard County Manatees game, Alcides Escobar will receive a special award for being named the Milwaukee Brewers June Player of the Month. Fans are encouraged to come out to the July 20th game which will be followed by a special Fireworks show. Another former Manatee, Yovani Gallardo, was named the Brewers June Pitcher of the Month as well. Escobar, the Manatees shortstop, had an outstanding month of June and the Brevard County Manatees parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers, commended him on his effort. Alcides Escobar is a native of La Sabana, Venezuela and hit .344 in 22 games played in the month of June. Escobar had nine RBI, eight stolen bases and four doubles. Overall, Escobar has bumped his average to .249 this season in 53 games with 26 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Alcides was signed as a non-drafted free agent on July 9, 2003. In 2005, he was named as the Brewers Best Defensive Infielding Prospect by Baseball America. The award ceremony will take place on the field before the start of the Blue Jays vs. Manatees game on July 20th. Yovani Gallardo, a right-handed pitcher who is currently with the Double-A Huntsville Stars, was named as the Brewers June Pitcher of the Month. The Florida State League and Futures Game All-Star was dominating with Brevard County in the month of June. In three games started, Yovani went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. In 20 innings pitched, Gallardo allowed only eight hits, held opponents to a .125 average and struck out 26 batters while walking eight. Currently with the Brewers Double-A Affiliate, the Huntsville Stars, the Texas native holds a 0.73 ERA and in 24.2 innings pitched has 25 strikeouts and only nine walks.

Final: Arizona Brewers 10, Arizona Rangers 8 Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link: RHP Santo Manzanillo has now walked 19 in 6.1 innings, but he gets the win somehow today; still waiting for RHP Rolando Pascual to show us something, but RHP Craig Langille continues to make strides; John Alonso HR # 4... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_royrok_1

Final: Omaha (Royals) 4, Nashville 2 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Dennis Sarfate photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2068 Sounds Lose Series Finale In Omaha, 4-2 OMAHA, Neb. ? The Nashville Sounds dropped a 4-2 decision to the Omaha Royals on Thursday afternoon at Rosenblatt Stadium in the finale of a four-game series. The loss resulted in a split of the four-game series but Nashville (53-44) recorded a 9-7 victory in the season series between the division rivals. Omaha starter Denny Bautista (2-3) turned in a dominant performance, earning the victory after limiting the Sounds to three hits (all singles) over seven scoreless frames. The Royals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Kerry Robinson, who scored two of Omaha?s four runs and drove in a third, scored on Shane Costa?s one-out RBI single against Nashville starter Dennis Sarfate. Omaha upped its lead to 3-0 in the third with a pair of unearned runs resulting from a fielding error by Sounds third baseman Zach Sorensen. The Royals made it a 4-0 game in the seventh when Robinson?s one-out groundout against Sounds reliever Wilton Chavez plated Rick Bell, who paced the home team with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate. Nashville put a pair of runs on the board against the Omaha bullpen in the top of the eighth to break up the shutout bid. With one out in the frame, Sorensen walked and Kennard Bibbs singled to put runners on the corners against Royals reliever Shane Loux. Brent Abernathy (2-for-4) followed with an RBI single to left that scored Sorensen with the first Sounds run of the afternoon. AUDIO: Brent Abernathy RBI Single -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-20.mp3 Bibbs and Abernathy each stole a bag to move up to second and third before Bibbs was thrown out at home while attempting to score on a Dave Krynzel grounder to first. Nashville plated its second run of the frame during the following at-bat when both runners were moving and Abernathy reached home due to a throwing error by Omaha third baseman Mike Aviles. Loux struck out Nelson Cruz to escape the jam with a 4-2 lead. Cruz finished 0-for-4 to snap the Sounds? longest active hitting streak at eight games. Omaha reliever Ryan Braun worked a scoreless ninth and fanned a pair of batters to pick up his second save of the year. Sarfate (7-6) took the loss for Nashville after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits in his six frames of action. The Sounds continue their road trip on Friday in Oklahoma City, where they?ll commence a four-day, six-game series against the RedHawks. The teams will play two games on Friday -- the first is the 7:05 p.m. completion of the clubs? April 24 contest that was suspended due to rain at the end of the second inning with Oklahoma leading 1-0. The second game will be a seven-inning affair. Right-hander Justin Lehr (2-3, 3.62) will man the bump for Nashville in the first contest and will enter in relief of original starter Dana Eveland, who has since been promoted to Milwaukee. Oklahoma will send left-hander John Danks (2-2, 4.68) to the hill in the first contest. Sounds right-hander Carlos Villanueva (1-0, 0.00), who hurled the first six innings of a no-hitter in his last start, will get the nod in the nightcap opposite RedHawks southpaw and former Brewers farmhand Derek Lee (3-7, 4.64). Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link: Obviously, the Omaha reliever isn't our Ryan Braun... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1

Follow Thursday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". 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. Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_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 Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

The rest of Thursday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Huntsville: RHP Yovani Gallardo at Carolina (Marlins), 6:00 PM pre-game, 6:15 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450radio.com/ Brevard County: RHP Josh Wahpepah at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:00 gametime; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: LHP Steve Garrison at home vs. Lake County (Indians), 5:55 AM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: RHP Chris Jean at home vs. Orem(Angels), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Audio (click on "Listen Live"): www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

This afternoon's abysmal Milwaukee loss seems like it's now the perfect opportunity to give myself a night off from the keyboard tonight and lose my sorrow elsewhere. I still invite everyone to listen and follow via our Link Report, whoever wishes to assist this evening, please do so. Or not... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif