Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...306_01.txt Swaydan lifts Brewers over Osprey By JEFF WINDMUELLER - IR Sports Writer The Helena Brewers? Jordan Swaydan went 0-for-3 in Tuesday?s win over the Missoula Osprey and wasn?t even expected to play on Thursday. But after substituting in just before the 10th inning, Swaydan stood at the plate with bases loaded and the score still tied at 3. With a vocal crowd of 855 stomping on the stands and screaming for a hit, Swaydan cracked a high fastball to the right field wall bringing in Fredy De La Cruz for the 4-3 extra-inning win. ?That?s the way it actually usually happens,? said Brewers manager Ed Sedar of the circumstances. Swaydan, who is listed as a catcher, was brought in as a precautionary measure to preserve rightfielder Stephen Chapman?s hurt hamstring, Sedar said. ?(Swaydan) just now started taking balls in the outfield,? Sedar said. ?And he gets the big hit for us.? Swaydan?s tiebreaker came after Missoula rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie it up in the eighth inning. The Brewers scored their first two runs in the third inning beginning with a sacrifice fly to left field by Taylor Green, allowing Garry Savas to come in. Chapman then took home after a wild pitch by Osprey?s Luis Caro bounced off the dirt and flew into the netting. The Brewers took advantage of several wild pitches and used two to extend the lead in the sixth innning. Eric Newton was able to take third and then home on wild pitches by Giornale Sena. The 3-0 lead wouldn?t last long, however. In the seventh, Jose Dijol nearly took out pitcher Brock Kjeldgaard with a hard-hit grounder right over the mound and into centerfield for a single. Then Andrew Fie really punished Kjeldgaard with a home run over the left field wall, scoring two. The next inning, Dijol drove in the tying run when he dropped a single just past second base. Chapman raced in to catch the ball, but with a slide to his knees was only able to stop the ball on the bounce. Matt Oxendine came in for the run. Sedar said that the Brewers were hitting well, but could have extended the lead with a better job bunting. On more than one occasion, Helena had batters at first and second and was unable to bunt them ahead, Sedar said. Meanwhile, with just three games down he is seeing the team begin to gel on defense. The Brewers held off a possible go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning when Gerrardo Bustamente laid down a bunt and was able to make it to third base on an error. Savas ran forward to get the ball, but then threw it far right of first base and into the fence. But even with no outs and the go-ahead runner on third, the Brewers were able to keep Missoula from scoring. Steve Palazzolo struck out the batter after Bustamente, Green threw out the next from second base and De La Cruz did the same from third to end the inning. ?You don?t see that very often when the lead off batter gets on third in extra innings,? Sedar said. ?We had a couple nice plays and Palazzolo did a nice job pounding the strike zone.? Palazzolo, who came in at the top of the 10th, was the fifth pitcher to take the mound for the Brewers. Those before him had to be pretty careful just to physically survive their stays on the mound. Lefty starter Zach Braddock was hit in his pitching arm in the second inning off a hard drive by Dijol. Chris Jean spent two-thirds of the sixth inning on the mound, but that was long enough for Bustamente to send shards of a broken bat his way. Then there was the liner that Kjeldgaard dodged the next inning. ?I?m sure our pitchers ? because we have Mark Littell as our pitching coach ? are used to hard balls being hit back at them,? Sedar said. ?So I don?t think that fazes our pitchers at all.? It didn?t Braddock, who lasted until the sixth inning and allowed just two hits while striking out three. The Brewers move to 2-1 on the season as Missoula drops to 1-2. The two teams will play their fourth and final game today at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) at Kindrick Legion.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200606234 Power legs out late win By Nick Scala Charleston Gazette Staff writer In the battle of shin vs. shinguard, Lorenzo Cain had to settle for the loss. He wouldn?t settle for losing the game, though. Cain scored from second base on Mike Bell?s one-out hit to right in the bottom of the ninth, giving the West Virginia Power a 5-4 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators Thursday night in front of a crowd of 5,726 at Appalachian Power Park. To get to the plate for the winning run, Cain had to slide through Kannapolis catcher Francisco Hernandez, who was blocking the plate while awaiting the throw home. Cain?s shin smashed into Hernandez?s shinguard, but the catcher couldn?t corral the peg to the plate. After the collision, Cain stayed down on the ground in obvious pain as teammates came out to celebrate with him. After a couple of anxious minutes, Cain got up and limped off to cheers of the big crowd. ?I just rounded third, coming home, and I saw the ball was not even close and the guy was still blocking the plate,? the Power outfielder said. ?I should?ve run him over but it didn?t happen that way. I slid, because I thought I could beat it easily.? Cain?s pain was eased by the tight victory in the opening game of the second half of the South Atlantic League season. ?Yeah, it hurts, but I?ll be ready to play [tonight],? he said. With the score tied at 4, Cain drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth. He then stole second while Nestor Corredor was swinging and missing on strike three. It was nearly a double play, but Cain beat the rap on a close call at second. ?I saw [Kannapolis pitcher Jason Rice] with a high leg kick and I just took off,? Cain said. ?The ball beat me there, but I slid under the tag.? After an intentional walk to Sally League All-Star Game MVP Mat Gamel, Bell came through with the opposite-field game-winner to right, giving him three RBIs for the night and giving the Power its sixth win of the season in its final at-bat. Bell finished 3-for-5, including an RBI double to drive home the Power?s first run in the fourth and a run-scoring single to make it 4-2 in the seventh. The Power is 1-0 in the second half. ?We ended up the first half going strong and it?s real important to get out going strong in the second half,? Bell said. ?This team?s really coming together. Everybody?s picking each other up. It?s a good feeling.? The win went to reliever Joe Thatcher (1-3), who struck out four in 1 1/3 innings. Hatcher?s throwing error allowed Kannapolis to score the tying run in the top of the eighth, then he was touched for a one-out triple in the ninth by Intimidators center fielder Paulo Orlando. But with the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Thatcher fanned Anderson Gomes and Brandon Johnson to maintain the deadlock. The Power pitching staff struck out a season-high 17, with 12 of them going to starter Derek Miller. Looking for his eighth straight victory, Miller (7-1) left with a 3-0 lead after 6 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits, both by Kannapolis shortstop Javier Castillo. He threw 99 pitches, 69 of them for strikes, and walked two. ?I thought he was up a little more out of the strike zone than I?d like to see him, but they were chasing him,? said Power pitching coach John Curtis. ?But how can you be critical of a night when he strikes out 12 and gives them one hit through six? It was a fabulous effort.? Curtis said Miller won?t bemoan the lost opportunity for another win. ?Here, wins are serendipity,? Curtis said. ?The way he pitched, he can go home and feel good even without the ?W? next to his name.? After Miller was pulled with one out and one on in the seventh, two hits off Power reliever Dane Renkert and an error by Bell brought in two Kannapolis runs, cutting the Power lead to 3-2. Bell?s second RBI hit in the bottom of the seventh upped the margin to 4-2, but the Intimidators tied it in the eighth with two runs. Ned Yost delivered a two-out, two-run triple down the right field line for a 3-0 Power lead in the sixth. Angel Salome and Michael Brantley had two hits apiece for the Power. POWER POINTS: The four-game series continues tonight with lefty Rafael Lluberes (3-3, 2.84 ERA) starting for the Power against Intimidators left Clayton Richard (3-2, 2.83). ... Miller also had the defensive play of the game, making a sliding catch on a popped-up bunt in the fifth by Orlando. ... Kannapolis first baseman Fernando Valenzuela Jr. is the son of the former major-league pitcher of the same name. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Kenny Kemp Catcher Francisco Hernandez swipes at and misses the Power?s Mike Bell, but later tagged him out. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/POW1A.jpg The Power?s Angel Salome (38) reaches second base as the throw from the catcher gets away. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/POW2A.jpg

Final: Nashville 2, Round Rock (Astros) 0 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Ben Hendrickson photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2017 Hendrickson, Sounds Toss One-Hitter At Express ROUND ROCK, Texas ? Ben Hendrickson worked six hitless innings as four Nashville pitchers combined on a one-hitter in Nashville?s 2-0 shutout of the Round Rock Express on Thursday evening at The Dell Diamond in the second game of a five-game series. With the win, Nashville (40-32) snapped Round Rock?s eight-game winning streak and recorded its fifth shutout victory of the season. Sounds pitchers faced only two batters over the minimum in the contest. Hendrickson (5-2) allowed only one baserunner over his six innings of work ? a 2nd-inning walk to Luke Scott. The right-hander was removed for a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh after tossing 90 pitches over six hitless frames. Hendrickson struck out nine batters in his outing, including six in a row in the fourth and fifth innings (two shy of the PCL record for consecutive punchouts). The solid outing was Hendrickson?s team-leading seventh quality start of the year and the sixth in his last seven starts. He lowered his ERA to 2.00 through 10 starts this season. Mitch Stetter (1.0 IP), Wilton Chavez (0.2 IP), and Joe Winkelsas (1.1 IP) worked the final three innings to complete the shutout. Winkelsas, who worked out of an inherited two-out, two-on jam in the bottom of the eighth, recorded the final four outs to notch his first Triple-A save of the season. He has earned a win and a save in his two Sounds appearances this season. Dave Krynzel put the visitors on top 1-0 in the top of the third inning with a one-out solo homer to right off Round Rock starter Jared Gothreaux. The blast was the outfielder?s fourth of the year and his first since May 10th. The Sounds doubled their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Jermaine Clark singled, moved to second on a Tony Gwynn walk, and scored on Brent Abernathy?s two-out RBI single to right. The run-scoring knock was Abernathy?s second of the night and the 1,000th of his minor-league career. AUDIO: Abernathy RBI Single (1,000th Hit) -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-22.wma Round Rock took advantage of Hendrickson?s departure by recording their first hit of the ballgame when Joe McEwing greeted Stetter with a single in the bottom of the seventh. It would be the home club?s only knock of the evening. Gothreaux (3-5) was dealt the loss after allowing both Sounds runs on four hits in his 4 1/3 innings of action. The teams meet again on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Nashville send Dennis Sarfate (6-2, 2.58) and his personal four-game winning streak to the hill to face Express left-hander Philip Barzilla (3-3, 4.42). Nashville Box Score: The Ben Hendrickson enigma -- a mystery wrapped in a riddle, Seinfeld fans -- keep pumping up that trade value, Ben... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: Defensive indifference scored in the first inning? C'mon, give Nelson Cruz his stolen base... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Joe Winkelsas: Good stuff about his work with Mike Maddux and Bill Castro... www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-22.wma

Veteran outfielder Carlos Valderrama, 28 years old, an offseason free agent signing who has spent the entire year on the Huntsville disabled list, has been released. Valderrama becomes another "ghost" alumnus, never appearing in an official game for the organization.

Final: Mobile (Padres) 8, Huntsville 7, ten innings Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=889 Lauderdale Launches BayBears to Victory Matt Lauderdale?s pinch-hit, walk off home run in the tenth inning lifted Mobile to an 8-7 win over Huntsville Thursday night in the fourth game of a five-game set at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears have taken three of the four games to start the second half, while the Stars have now lost 14 of their last 18 games on the road and 28 out of their last 33 overall. Brett Evert took over for Gerrit Simpson to open the tenth and Lauderdale was called on to bat for winning pitcher Dale Thayer, who blanked the Stars without a hit over two innings. Evert fell behind 3-0, threw a strike and then watched Lauderdale lift his 3-1 offering over the wall in left field for his second home run of the year and second in as many days. Evert also yielded a walk off home run to leadoff man Darren Blakely in the tenth inning on June 6 at Birmingham. Juan Ciriaco singled home Brett Dowdy with two outs in the eighth inning on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game at seven against Simpson, who allowed one run on two hits over three innings of relief work. Huntsville scored five times in the seventh inning on three hits and three errors to rally from a 6-2 hole to claim a 7-6 lead. Steve Moss singled in a run, Drew Anderson delivered a sacrifice fly and Jeff Eure belted a two-run homer to left field off of Leo Rosales to give the visitors their first lead of the night. It was Eure?s sixth home run of the season and he finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Mobile tallied four times in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie, as Drew Macias and Ciriaco singled in runs and Vincent Sinisi doubled home a pair against Khalid Ballouli, who had retired all three hitters he faced in the fifth inning in relief of starter Jeff Housman. The Stars left runners at second and third base with one out in the fifth and left Eure stranded at third base with one out in the sixth to keep the game tied at two. Mobile starter John Hudgins went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and fanning six. He has lasted at least five innings in all eight of his starts and at least six frames in four of eight turns. The BayBears starters have gone at least six innings in all four games in the series. The series wraps up Friday night with right-hander Steve Bray getting the starting assignment for the Stars against BayBears right-hander Jose Oyervidez. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Ryan Braun makes his AA debut (pinch-hit, reached on error); 2002 was a long time ago, Brad Nelson... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Huntsville Game Log: Steve Moss picked off in the 1st; nice two-out hit in the 4th for Jeff Eure so as not to waste a lead-off Callix Crabbe triple; the Milko Jaramillo era as The Brewers' AA shortstop is off to a dreadful start this week... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

Final: Helena 4, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 3, ten innings Jordan Swaydan's first pro hit a bases-loaded deep drive to the wall that will be scored as a single; Steve Palazzolo works out of a man-on-third, nobody-out jam in the top of the 10th -- very enjoyable late-night audio fun... Helena Box Score: It's always a rush when an 18-year-old dominates in his pro debut, right, Zach Braddock? Kudos once again to Tony Blengino, who scouted and signed the two stud New Jersey southpaws, Braddock and 19-year-old Steve Garrison, now with the Power; Zach Clem an intense kid, according to the H-Crew's Steve Wendt -- struggling early... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: Brewers strand 15, three as the game ended; seven Missoula wild pitches, and it still took the Brewers ten innings to score four runs; miserable bunt attempts by the Brewers for the most part -- plenty of practice to come... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: Brevard County 5, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 4 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Escobar, Manatees edge Cardinals Alcides Escobar slapped a walk-off RBI single as Brevard County came from behind to defeat visiting Palm Beach, 5-4, on Thursday. With the game knotted, 4-4, in the ninth, C.J. Medlin drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Hasan Rasheed. Brandon Yarbrough was called for catcher's interference, moving Rasheed into scoring position and setting the stage for Escobar's winning hit off reliever Zach Zuercher (1-2). The Manatees (1-0) trailed, 4-0, in the fourth when Kyle Phillips and Medlin delivered RBI singles. Steven Sollmann, who went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring single in the fifth, led off the eighth with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice by Phillips and knotted the game on a flyout by Brendan Katin. Brevard County reliever Robert Hinton (3-3) picked up the win after allowing one hit in two scoreless innings and fanning five of the seven batters he faced. Starter Mark Rogers gave up four runs on six hits in three innings before Ben Stanczyk blanked the Cardinals (0-1) over four frames. Palm Beach starter Mark Michael surrendered three runs on seven hits over five innings. Jose Garcia tossed two hitless frames before Zuercher yielded Escobar's hit in the ninth. Juan Lucena went 3-for-3 for the Cardinals, while Joe Mather was 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the second and an RBI double in the third. -- Max Lance/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: U-W Milwaukee product Ben Stanczyk with a huge effort after a few rough weeks as of late; Ryan Crew walks twice in his high-A debut; Steve Sollman on base four times, C.J. Medlin thrice... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: Bunt, sacrifice fly in the 8th for the 'Tees -- little ball rules! www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

Final: West Virginia 5, Kannapolis (White Sox) 4 Walk-off win again for the Power -- another treat for the home fans; the Power are primed for a fun second half... West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER FAN 17 INTIMIDATORS Derek Miller, Dane Renkert and Joe Thatcher combined to strikeout 17 Kannapolis Intimidators, establishing a new single game season high for the Power pitching staff and Mike Bell provided the heroics for the Moss and Gold with the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Power went on to win the first game of the second half 5-4 over Kannapolis on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. The Power scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on Bell?s RBI double. Ned Yost added to the Power lead with a two-run triple in the sixth inning to put the Power on top 3-0. In the seventh Kannapolis scored twice to come within a run. Javier Castillo scored the first run on Bell?s errant throw and Paulo Orlando drove in the final run on an RBI single. Bell struck again for the Power in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single to give the Power a two-run lead, but Kannapolis tied the game in the eighth inning. Javier Castillo brought in the first run on a groundout and Eric Mesa scored the tying run on Joe Thatcher?s errant throw. In the bottom of the ninth inning Lorenzo Cain walked and then stole second base. After Nestor Corredor struck out, Mat Gamel was intentionally walked. With runners on first and second base Bell singled into right field and Cain scored the winning run, marking the sixth time this season that the Power have won in their final at bat. Derek Miller was strong through six and a third, allowing a run on two hits and struck out a season high 12 batters in the process. Miller has 21 strikeouts in two starts against Kannapolis this season. Thatcher (1-3) earned the victory and Jason Rice (0-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 40-30 overall and 1-0 in the second half after the win and the Intimidators fell to 20-51 overall and 0-1 in the second half after the loss. Attendance for the game was 5,726. The Power will continue the four game series against the Intimidators Friday night. Kannapolis will start left hander Clayton Richard (3-2, 2.83) and the Power will start left hander Rafael Lluberes (3-3, 2.84). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Angel Salome on base three times... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Six of Derek Miller's first seven outs came via the K, 10 of 13 and 12 of 19 overall; a couple of Power out on plays at the plate... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

In progress: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 3, Helena 3, after eight innings Still time for you to jump in on this audio as of almost 11:00 PM Central...

The Brewers have released five players from the rookie ranks, all among their previous Latin signings: Infielder Jose Jimenez, just turned 19, hit .286 in Arizona and briefly Helena last season in his first year of pro ball. 22 of his 59 hits went for extra bases, so this release is quite the surprise. Sometimes you wonder what other circumstances go into the releases of the very young kids. 21-year-old outfielder Jhonathan Blanc, also of the Dominican, hit .244 in 197 at-bat's over the past two summers in Maryvale. We liked how he spelled his name. Infielder Oscar Emeterio, 20 years old, was a surprise Opening Day Helena Brewer in his first pro season last summer. After just one game, he was with the Arizona squad, and struggled at the plate. 19-year-old RHP Jesus Chourio is the one Venezuelan in this group (the others are all Dominican). Chourio allowed 23 earned runs in 30.1 Arizona League innings in 2005. Still only 19 years old, catcher Ruben Angoma hit .273 in a small sample of 22 Arizona League at-bats last summer. The huge recent infusion of catching talent must have squeezed Angoma out. It'd be kind of a bummer if Angoma was indeed around all spring, helping to catch all those extended spring training arms, only to be released in mid-June.

Final: Columbus (Yankees) 8, Pawtucket (Red Sox) 2 No, not some mis-guided Link Report post. Enjoyed a lovely night in Rhode Island this evening, and saw alumni Tommy Phelps pitch a gem for the Yankees squad, with Matt Childers following Phelps. For the PawSox, lefty Craig Breslow (who's been outstanding all season) and righty Tim Bausher put in relief efforts. Alejandro Machado teamed with Dustin Pedroia on the most spectaular double-play I've ever seen in person, and that covers a lot of baseball games. Long night for the home team, but a spectacular evening for the kids despite the score.

Both LHP Steve Hammond and RHP Yovani Gallardo will be off to Huntsville once their temporary inactive stints end shortly, according to the latest press release from Manatee GM Buck Rogers. Seems like the Brewers just need to shake out their rosters accordingly before the two pitchers officially become Stars. Hammond to be in AA midway through his second pro season...

(I haven't heard Jim mention how young he is recently http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ). Then you didn't read the Arizona Brewer (Harold Mejia) thread posted within the past 24 hours http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

Charleston Gazette: After finishing in second place behind Lexington in the Northern Division for the first half of the season, the Power is primed for a strong second half and a run at a Sally League playoff berth. That run starts tonight at Appalachian Power Park with the first of four games with Kannapolis. The Power went 1-3 on the road against the Intimidators in May. After that, West Virginia heads south for four games at Augusta, Ga., and four more at Greenville, S.C. Four home games against Asheville July 4-7 gives the Power 16 non-division games to start the second half. Will Inman, who?s been on the disabled list with a strained pitching shoulder, will be activated for the start of the second half and is scheduled to start Saturday night against Kannapolis. Before the injury, the 6-foot right-hander was one of the Power?s top starters, going 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In 35 innings, Inman has 53 strikeouts while allowing just five walks and no home runs.

Standings through Wednesday's action: Brevard and West Virginia begin their second halves tonight... Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 39 32 .549 - 26-13 13-19 L2[/b] Iowa 33 38 .465 6.0 18-17 15-21 W1 Omaha 28 44 .389 11.5 16-19 12-25 L1 Memphis 27 44 .380 12.0 15-22 12-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W2 Tennessee 2 1 .667 - 0-0 2-1 W2 West Tenn 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W1 Carolina 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L2 [b]Huntsville 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L1[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 L1 Great Falls 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 W1 [b]Helena 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 L1[/b] Missoula 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 W1

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006062137 Ford getting job done as Power starts second half By Nick Scala Charleston Gazette Staff writer Through the first month of the South Atlantic League season, Darren Ford was struggling and frustrated. He was promoted from rookie ball to Class A to be the West Virginia Power?s leadoff hitter, where the team could exploit his speed. Trouble was, though, the 20-year-old outfielder wasn?t getting on base enough to take advantage of that speed. On May 3, 25 games into the season, Ford?s on-base percentage stood at just .273, one of the lowest figures on the team among the starters, and he had drawn just three walks ? worst among the regulars ? while striking out 27 times. Since then, though, Ford has flourished. Since May 3, Ford?s on-base percentage has been .399, much more befitting a leadoff guy. He now leads the Power with 26 walks, his 45 runs is tops on the club and ninth in the league, his batting average has climbed from .242 to .283 and his 32 stolen bases are good for third in the Sally League. He?s still striking out more than he?d like ? Ford?s 73 whiffs rank fifth in the league ? but his strikeout-to-walk ratio, indicative of a hitter?s eye and patience, has improved from 9-to-1 on May 3 to 2-to-1 (23 walks, 46 Ks) since. The difference? It?s part mechanics, part comfort level, part confidence. ?They switched my batting stance about five, six weeks ago,? said the Brewers? 18th-round draft pick in 2004. ?My hands were dropping low, they got me to bring them up to a good hitting position. Now I?m not swinging at bad pitches, and I?m trying to be more patient at the plate.? Power hitting coach Mike Lum, who worked with Ford on his mechanics, said the outfielder was simply going through growing pains as he climbed the professional ladder. ?It?s all part of catching up to the league,? Lum said. ?He had a slow start, everything was a little new at this level, and he was putting pressure on himself. Now he?s gained confidence and become more comfortable with himself, and with the league. ?He?s getting a much better read on the pitches and making better choices. In the early part of the season he led this league in swings-and-misses. He?s not doing that any more.?

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". Activate the Nashville Gameday. For the other links, 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. It's sweet! Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_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

Thursday's Daily Menu: No big league game, boys! Who are you listening to while cruising the web tonight? You know you want to! All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Round Rock (Astros), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Jeff Housman at Mobile (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 6:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.palmbeachcardinals.com/ West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Kannapolis (White Sox), 6:55 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: LHP Zach Braddock at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 8:05 PM Audio (click on "Listen Live"): www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

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Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006062212/ Power's Crew promoted; Holmberg returns Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Welcome back, Kenny Holmberg. So long, Ryan Crew. In two of the nine roster moves made by the organization today and Wednesday, the Milwaukee Brewers activated Holmberg from the disabled list at West Virginia of the Class A South Atlantic League and promoted Crew to Brevard County of the Class A advanced Florida State League. "It's always exciting when you get moved up because that's what you want," Crew said during a telephone interview Wednesday night as he packed for his flight to Florida. "But it's also sad to leave a team you have been a part of for two years." Coincidentally, Crew and Holmberg are roommates. They rent a Charleston home with three other teammates. "Losing a guy like Crew is tough," Holmberg said. "We're a tight-knit pack." Holmberg sprained his left ankle April 28 and remained on the disabled list from April 30 through May 19. He returned to the disabled list May 29 after inflammation in his Achilles tendon left him unable to play. Holmberg hit .308 with four homers, eight RBI and 15 runs in 20 games before the injury compared to .200 with no homers, no runs and one RBI in four games after it. "I try to make the best of any situation," said Holmberg, who likely will play tonight when the West Virginia Power opens the second half of the season with a four-game homestand against the Kannapolis Intimidators at Appalachian Power Park. For example, whether he was standing in the coach's box behind first base or sitting on the bench in the home dugout, Holmberg made an effort to help his team win during his time on the disabled list. "I think I do a good job of doing whatever I'm doing when I'm in the realm of baseball," Holmberg said. "I'm going to find a way to help myself or my teammates or my team. But I'm looking forward to playing again. "(The injury and time off) made me a little bit stronger," he added. "It gave me a chance to reflect on what I need to do to make up for lost time. Now I get a chance to play. I just need to take that opportunity and go with it." The ankle injury to Holmberg resulted in a position switch for Crew, who moved from shortstop to second base to replace his hobbled teammate. Considering the way he has played since then, that might have been the best thing to happen to Crew this season. Crew was 17-for-67 (.254) with four runs and eight RBI in his 17 games before Holmberg's injury compared to 48-for-165 (.291) with 25 runs and 15 RBI in 45 games. His batting average climbed 26 points during that span, rising from .254 to .280. "I was supposed to be mainly a shortstop," Crew said. "With Kenny going down, it gave me a chance to play a different spot and I got to show some versatility. "I credit it all back to our hitting coach, Mike Lum," he added. "I had some faults in my swing. There was way too much movement. I was out of control. Like he told me, the main thing is to just be under control. I made a small adjustment and that helped out a lot."

West Virginia Press Release: CHARLESTON, WV (June 22, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, utility player Ryan Crew was promoted to High-A Brevard County of the Florida State League and infielder Kenny Holmberg was activated from the disabled list to take his place on the Power roster. Crew, a second year player from the University of Texas-San Antonio was one of West Virginia's most consistent players in the first half of the season. He saw action in left field, second base and shortstop. Crew hit .280 over 62 games with two home runs and 23 RBI. Kenny Holmberg is ready to play after his second stint on the disabled list due to a high left ankle sprain. Holmberg originally went on the disabled list on April 30, and was activated three weeks later, only to be placed back on the DL ten after. Through 25 games this year Holmberg is hitting .289 with four home runs and nine RBI.

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 7, Helena 5 Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...206_01.txt Osprey fight past Brewers for win By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor These may not just be the same old Missoula Osprey. The Pioneer League baseball club has been roughed up in recent years by the Helena Brewers, but one night after suffering a season-opening loss, the Osprey turned the tables on Helena, holding on for a 7-5 win. Missoula used a combination of timely hitting in the early innings and hard-nosed pitching that was able to keep Helena at bay when they had scoring opportunities. ?We had our chances to win, but we did a good job battling back,? said Helena manager Ed Sedar. The Brewers had to rally from an early deficit, as the Osprey tacked three runs on the scoreboard in the second inning. Jake Elder brought home two of the runs when he launched a home run over the left-field fence. Two batters later, Matt Oxendine brought home another run with a RBI single. Helena answered in the second when Eric Newton launched a two-run home run of his own. It was the second home run for Helena in the first two games. Newton, a 33rd-round pick this year from Santa Clara, hit in the No. 7 slot in the lineup. Newton and Fredy De La Cruz, Helena?s No. 8 hitter, were a combined 3-for-7 at the plate, scoring three runs. De la Cruz is hitting .500 thus far this season. He hit a double in the fourth inning and another in the sixth. ?They will be pretty good the whole season,? Sedar said. ?We expect that, though, from the top to the bottom of the order.? While Newton and De La Cruz scored three runs, the rest of the Helena lineup, had trouble finding its way to home plate. The Brewers stranded 10 runners, seven of which were in scoring position. In the third inning, Stephen Chapman reached third and Chris Errecart was on second with just one out, but Osprey starter Tony Barnette induced a pair of groundouts to end the threat. Missoula was able to build on its early lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings and Andy Fie delivered a big blow in the sixth with a two-run single. That gave Missoula a 7-3 lead, but that wouldn?t last long as Chapman stroke a two-RBI double, bringing home Newton and De La Cruz. That would be as close as the contest would get, however, as the Brewers were unable to score in the final three innings. They did, however, mount a credible threat in the eighth.Chapman and David Parker were on second and third, but Matt Krohe fanned Taylor Green to end the inning. Krohe got the win for Missoula and Jorge Perez notched the save. Chapman had a fine offensive day for Helena, going 3-for-4 at the plate. he is hitting at a .571 clip this season. The two teams will meet today in the third game of a four-game set. Left-hander Zach Braddock will start for Helena, while Luis Caro will take the mound for Missoula. Helena Box Score: Twelve of the 21 batters starter Mike McClendon faced reached -- four scored... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 2 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Flores helps Mets clinch East Jesus Flores hit an RBI single to snap a tie as visiting St. Lucie beat Brevard County, 5-2, on Wednesday to clinch the Florida State League East Division first-half title. Enrique Cruz hit a one-out double off Jeremy Lewis (1-4) and Flores followed with a base hit up the middle to give the Mets a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning. Mike Carp delivered a two-run double in the ninth, his 12th two-bagger of the year, for the final margin. St. Lucie (40-30) needed to win to secure a postseason spot after Palm Beach defeated Daytona, 10-3, earlier Wednesday. "I told the players before the game that our destiny was in our own hands," said St. Lucie manager Gary Carter, who didn't know the Cardinals' result during his team's game. "I'm not going to take any credit [for the title]. It was the kids, we can only motivate them. We try to pound into their heads good, sound, fundamental baseball." The Mets and Cardinals had swept each other twice during the first half, and with the original tiebreaker getting rained out June 11, a win for Palm Beach would have served as a tiebreaker within the division and a ticket to the playoffs. "That's what makes this league kind of special, nobody ran away with it," Carter said. "It's kind of hard to believe that it came down to the final game." St. Lucie's Joseph Serfass (1-1) walked one and struck out one in 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win in relief of Salvador Aguilar. The starter went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Carlos Muniz worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to register his 14th save. Corey Coles and Carp hit run-scoring singles to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the third. The Manatees (35-31) tied it in the bottom of the frame when Ryan Braun hit an RBI triple and scored on a single by Kyle Phillips. -- Marissa Rega/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1