Jim Goulart

Nelson Cruz the one mention in this week's BA Hot Prospect Sheet: www.baseballamerica.com/t...61352.html

Link for Stan Kyles photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1965 Kyles Named Pitching Coach For PCL All-Stars Nashville Sounds pitching coach Stan Kyles has been selected as the pitching coach for the Pacific Coast League team in the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game, which will be held on Wednesday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m. CDT at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio. Kyles is serving his second season as the Nashville pitching coach and the team currently leads all Pacific Coast League clubs with a 3.49 ERA through the first 44 games this season. His 2005 Sounds staff posted a franchise-record and PCL-leading 1,117 strikeouts and finished 4th in the league with a 4.43 ERA. Kyles, who is currently in his sixth year in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, including his third at the Triple-A level, also served six seasons in the Cubs organization (1992-93, 1997-2000) and three years in the Rockies? chain (1994-96). He joins a Pacific Coast League coaching staff that also includes Omaha Royals manager Mike Jirschele, Colorado Springs Sky Sox hitting coach (and University of Tennessee product) Alan Cockrell, and New Orleans Zephyrs trainer Mike Quinn.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006052318/ Keeping Appalachian Power Park green is proving difficult Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Look around Appalachian Power Park. The evidence is everywhere. Behind the plate and around it, plus the on-deck spots diagonal to it. Around the mound. Halfway up the first- and third-base lines and beside the corresponding bags and coaches' boxes. On the edge of the outfield behind shortstop and second base. Beside the bullpens, particularly the one on the home side. Bare spots that make the field look older than it is. Of course, 59 games in 87 days will do that, especially when that wear and tear is combined with wet weather and cooler-than-normal temperatures. The West Virginia Power has played 24 games at Appalachian Power Park, which opened last year. The University of Charleston and Marshall University played 19 and 12 games there, respectively, including the stadium opener Feb. 25. Greenbrier East High School hosted a doubleheader there. A men's league accounted for the other two games. Coming up are the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission and Big League state championship tournaments. "When you combine our games with all of those other games," Power General Manager Andy Milovich said, "then you are probably pushing the limits of what the field can take and what it can handle." So, how many games are too many? "I don't know that there is a magic number," Milovich said. "If it wasn't such a wet and cold spring and we had gotten done in the fall what we needed to and we were under normal circumstances in the spring, we may be on a field that looks great." Nevertheless, Milovich said the number of non-South Atlantic League games played at Appalachian Power Park will be an issue after the season. "That is a decision the team and the city have to make," Milovich said. "Is it important to have a first-class playing facility that meets Major League standards? Or is it important that everyone who makes a phone call and wants to play on the field gets a chance to play on the field? You saw what it did to Watt Powell Park. We are trying to use as strong of a judgment as we can to get everybody access but to make sure it meets the standards." However, Milovich said the number of games played on the field isn't the only reason the grass looks like it does. Among the other reasons, he said, is the fact that the field wasn't lain until 21 days before the team's season opener last year. "When you build a new stadium, usually the field is one of the first things that goes in," Milovich said. That typically occurs in September, he said. That way, "you have an entire fall for your grass to root," Milovich said. "Then, you have the spring for it to continue to grow and mature and develop your traditional root zone." A traditional root zone typically is 6 to 8 inches, Appalachian Power Park groundskeeper Eric Bailey said. "There are spots here where you have a 2- or 3-inch root zone or even shorter than that," Bailey said. "That is a byproduct of it going down so late," Milovich said. "When you have a shallow root zone, it can't get the food and the nutrients and it doesn't have the strength to withstand the traffic and high volumes of use." Milovich said Bailey and his staff had to take shortcuts to make up for the late start. "At that point, the chemical applications and fertilizers are almost completely nitrogen to cause it to green up as soon as the sun hits it," Milovich said. "You aren't as worried about strong, healthy grass as much as you are green grass. "You are playing on grass that is brand new. So, we put a lot of stress on a field that was young and immature last year. It wasn't ready to take the beating it took." Also, the team had fresh sod applied to areas in the fall, but that occurred later than it had planned. "So, that never really took," Milovich said. "Then, in the spring, with as wet as it has been and as cold as it has been, it really hasn't ever had a chance to grow and it has taken an increased beating because of the moisture and wetness." The wet weather also has taken its toll. "If you leave a tarp on a field like that," Milovich said, "it's going to brown out much easier and quicker and longer than a field that has been in place and is healthy." The stadium design also caused a problem. "Because the clubhouses aren't underneath, all 60 guys are coming out of the clubhouse and following the same path out of the clubhouse," Milovich said. "When you walk around the (home) bullpen, that coincides with the area where the sand depths aren't the depth they are supposed to be. "That has caused some drainage issues for us that will be addressed after the season by Athletic Field Services. That's an area that is constantly wet, doesn't drain the way it should and gets more traffic than any spot in the stadium." West Virginia starts a four-game series in Kannapolis today. With the team on the road, Milovich said Bailey and his staff will focus on making the field healthier and more attractive. West Virginia returns Saturday, when it will begin a four-game homestand against Lakewood. "The field isn't in a position where it isn't going to recover," Milovich said. "We can put it back in the position where it needs to be, but it's going to take a couple of weeks. We have some improvements we are going to make. You are going to see a field that is much healthier than this one right now." "It's recovering now even though it looks spotty in a couple of places," Bailey added. Additional improvements are expected in the next two months, when the team will play only 11 games on its field in June and only 10 games there in July. "It's a learning process for us as far as what this field needs," Milovich said. "We have really beefed up what we are doing, and we have a better handle on what this field needs. That will make a difference as this field grows and matures and strengthens over the course of the year." Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman Appalachian Power Park?s playing surface is showing the wear of 59 games in 87 days. http://www.dailymail.com/images/0523PowerField.jpg

Standings through Monday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 25 19 .568 - 14-7 11-12 L1[/b] Iowa 18 24 .429 6.0 9-12 9-12 L1 Omaha 18 25 .419 6.5 11-11 7-14 L2 Memphis 14 28 .333 10.0 10-11 4-17 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 29 16 .644 - 19-6 10-10 W4 West Tenn 26 19 .578 3.0 10-10 16-9 L1 Carolina 22 23 .489 7.0 15-10 7-13 W1 Tennessee 21 24 .467 8.0 12-8 9-16 L1 [b]Huntsville 20 24 .455 8.5 9-10 11-14 L4[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 25 18 .581 - 11-10 14-8 L3 [b]Brevard County 23 20 .535 2.0 10-10 13-10 W5[/b] Daytona 23 21 .523 2.5 15-10 8-11 L1 Palm Beach 22 21 .512 3.0 10-12 12-9 W1 Jupiter 18 26 .409 7.5 8-14 10-12 L5 Vero Beach 17 27 .386 8.5 11-14 6-13 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 26 17 .605 - 17-8 9-9 W1 Delmarva 25 17 .595 0.5 14-9 11-8 W4 Greensboro 24 19 .558 2.0 18-7 6-12 W5 [b]West Virginia 23 19 .548 2.5 13-10 10-9 W1[/b] Lakewood 22 21 .512 4.0 14-9 8-12 L1 Lake County 21 23 .477 5.5 11-10 10-13 L4 Hagerstown 18 25 .419 8.0 9-9 9-16 W1 Hickory 17 24 .415 8.0 8-11 9-13 L1

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated an hour or two prior to gametime: Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". 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_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_ftmafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_kanafx_1

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Jared Fernandez at home vs. Portland (Padres), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Chris Mabeus at home vs. Jacksonville (Dodgers), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Yo Gallardo at Fort Myers (Twins), 6:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): miraclebaseball.com/ West Virginia: RHP Ronny Malave at Kannapolis (White Sox), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006052325/ Clutch hitting helps Power top Drive before 8,122 fans Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Greenville starter Mike Bowden had no problems retiring the first two batters in each of the five innings he pitched Monday against West Virginia. The ones after them, however, gave him fits. Bowden allowed five runs and seven hits -- all with two outs -- in the Drive's 6-5 loss to the Power. "We have to tip our hats to the hitters," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said. "Two-out RBI are precious at any time." A Grand Slam School Day crowd of 8,122 fans -- most of them students and teachers playing hooky on a gorgeous May morning -- watched the South Atlantic League game at Appalachian Power Park. It was the second-largest crowd in stadium history. The largest is 10,103 on June 9, 2005. West Virginia led 5-0 before Greenville Manager Mike DeMaine took out Bowden (2-3). Angel Salome started the scoring for the Power in the first inning. Salome slapped a single into left field, stole second base, took third on catcher Mark Wagner's errant throw and scored on Mat Gamel's infield hit. "Sometimes, (hitting with two outs) is hard because you have all of the pressure on you," said Salome, who accounted for three of the Power's six runs. "You want to perform very good. You just have to do your best in those situations." The Power scored two in the fourth when Mike Bell and Kenny Holmberg sandwiched a pair of singles around a double by Tony Festa. West Virginia added to its lead with two runs in the fifth when Salome drove in himself and Lorenzo Cain with a no-doubt-about-it blast over the right-center field fence. That was the end of Bowden, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander whom the Boston Red Sox drafted with a sandwich pick last year. He finished with four strikeouts and no walks. "You watch the first two batters and see what he does with them, then you have a better idea of how to work with him," Salome said. "I saw that, and I killed him." The Power continued its clutch hitting in the seventh when Cain delivered a two-out single to knock in Nate Yoho, who scored the game-winning run. Bell, Cain, Gamel and Salome all had two hits in four at-bats. Not to be outdone by his bat-wielding teammates, West Virginia starter Rafael Lluberes (3-2) provided the Power with clutch pitching. Lluberes, a 6-4, 155-pound left-hander, controlled the Drive, a team that had seven right-handers in its lineup. His game plan, Lluberes said, was to throw his fastball on his first pitch to each hitter, preferably for a strike, to set up his changeup and breaking balls, which are his bread-and-butter pitches. "They are going to be more effective that way," Lluberes said. His plan worked. He yielded one run and four hits over six innings, marking the second time he pitched that deep into a game this season. He also fanned one batter and walked another. "I feel good about that," said Lluberes, a 21-year-old prospect whom the Milwaukee Brewers signed as a non-drafted free agent four years ago. "Everything came out the way I wanted to." It was an outing the Power (23-19) needed considering the club used five pitchers Sunday in a 12-1 loss to the Drive (22-22). "We needed him (Monday)," said Power pitching coach John Curtis, who told Lluberes before the game that the team needed five or six innings from him. "That was an expensive game (Sunday). He helped us. "He executed his game plan very well. He pitched inside. He kept the ball down. He gave us more than we expected. That is a tribute to him. He started to come up in the fifth and the sixth, but he battled his way out of some tough situations there. He did a nice job." Reliever Matt Kretzschmar almost blew it for Lluberes and the Power. Kretzschmar allowed one run on two hits and one walk in the seventh and two runs on one hit and two walks in the eighth before Guerrero replaced him with Dane Renkert, who entered the game with one out and the bases loaded. The Drive didn't score on Renkert, who ended the inning and thwarted the threat on a fielder's choice and a flyout. "Kretzschmar had a rough day," Curtis said. "We are working on a few things with him. He has some long arm action behind him. "We are trying to get him to slow down a little bit. He was firing a lot of high fastballs there. And walks don't help late in the game." Closer Joe Thatcher worked the ninth, surrendering one run on two hits and one walk, to earn his seventh save this season. POWER POINTS: West Virginia travels to North Carolina today to start a four-game series with Kannapolis. The Power will start right-hander Ronny Malave (3-0, 3.62). The Intimidators will counter with right-hander Ryan Rote (0-8, 4.93) ...West Virginia is four games over .500 for the second time this season. ...The Power leads the league in team batting average (.279) ...Cain and Salome are tied for the league lead in hits (53) ...Salome also is tied for third in doubles (14)... Darren Ford is tied for third in stolen bases (19).

Joe Winkelsas joins the Braves' Ken Ray as pitchers in the big leagues this year who hadn't seen MLB since 1999. It's an incredible story, really. You really need to check out my post from January 31st. p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=96 We know that Winkelsas just blew away all younger competitors in terms of velocity and command in the tryout camp he attended this winter. He was assigned to be Huntsville's closer specifically to lend a needed mature presence there, with no glaring candidate for closer at that level. I think this is a creative and welcome call-up. Just check out Ken Ray's numbers this year with Atlanta http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif -- and by the way, it was the Brewers who kick-started Ken Ray's career again (High Desert, 2003), after his four-year absence from affiliated ball.

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds lose another call By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Another night, another debatable home run call at Greer Stadium. In the fifth inning of the Nashville Sounds' matchup Monday with visiting Portland, Beavers catcher Jason Hill led off with a drive that appeared to hit above the yellow line at the top of the inside fence in left-center field. However, the ball was ruled playable by the umpiring crew and Hill was held to a double. Hill eventually scored on a two-run Manny Alexander base hit as Portland scored four runs in the inning. The ball struck off a white advertising banner on the second tier of the outfield fencing, in a similar manner to the ball Nelson Cruz hit in the first inning of the Sounds' game Sunday against Tacoma. Cruz's ball was initially ruled playable by the umpires, creating some confusion among the Nashville baserunners that resulted in a grand slam being reduced to a three-run homer when Brent Abernathy passed Dave Krynzel. House calls: Cruz is one of five Nashville players hitting better than .350 at Greer Stadium. Cruz leads the way at .382, just ahead of Vinny Rottino (.381), followed by Mike Rivera (.373), Tony Gwynn (.370) and Chris Barnwell (.355). Double time: Abernathy's sixth-inning double was Nashville's Pacific Coast League-leading 96th of the season. Bennie's back: Ben Hendrickson rejoined the Sounds on Monday, having been optioned by the Brewers after a rough start Saturday against Minnesota. In his last two starts for Milwaukee, Hendrickson allowed 13 earned runs on 12 hits in 2+ innings. Hendrickson has not been reinserted into the Nashville starting rotation as of yet. He's not expected to start before the weekend. In four starts with the Sounds before his April 27 callup, Hendrickson is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA, allowing seven earned runs in 23+ innings. Early cushion: On the strength of their three-game winning streak that ended Monday, the Sounds led the PCL American Northern Division by a season-high six games over second-place Iowa. Through its first 43 games last year, Nashville trailed the division leader by three games. The Sounds didn't hold a six-game division lead until their July 20 win over Memphis.

Link for Chris Barnwell photo, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds waste another Cruz home run Nashville suffers loss to Portland By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer After going five games without a home run, the Nashville Sounds can't seem to stop hitting them. More to the point, Nelson Cruz can't seem to stop hitting them. The 25-year-old outfielder hit his third homer in as many games Monday night, a two-out, two-run shot in the sixth inning of Nashville's 7-2 loss to Portland. "Guys with power go through that," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "They get pitches to hit and they hit them out, or they miss 'em a little and get a single or a double." Cruz, who hit first-inning homers in back-to-back wins on Saturday and Sunday to move within one of the Pacific Coast League lead, hit his 11th of the season Monday night. Albuquerque's Scott Seabol stayed atop the PCL in that category with his 12th homer of the year against Tucson. "I feel good right now; everything's a strike," said Cruz, who hit 27 homers last year ? 16 at Double-A Huntsville before his June 29 callup and 11 in Nashville. "I'm not swinging at balls. That leads to bad at-bats, swinging at balls. In my last at-bat, that's what I did." With Cruz leading the way, the Sounds have hit six homers in their last 25 innings after going 45 homer-less innings. Mike Rivera followed Cruz's first-inning homer on Saturday with one in the next at-bat, and Tony Gwynn and Brent Abernathy added homers on Sunday. Portland's Seth Etherton allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings and the Beaver bullpen threw 3 1/3 hitless innings. "Etherton threw well," Kremblas said. "We had a chance (in the seventh inning). We had a guy at third with less than two outs. It would have been nice to get him in, but you can't always get those."

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Outfielder Kennard Bibbs: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-22.wma Final: Portland (Padres) 7, Nashville 2 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1964 Cruz Homers Again But Sounds Fall To Beavers NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds had their three-game winning streak come to a close on Monday evening at Greer Stadium as the home club fell to the Portland Beavers by a 7-2 count in the opener of a four-game series. Nelson Cruz pulled into a temporary tie for the Pacific Coast League lead with his 11th home run of the year for Nashville. Albuquerque?s Scott Seabol belted his league-best 12th tater later in the evening. The roundtripper was Cruz?s third in the last three days for the Sounds. The Sounds (28-16) were held to only four hits on the evening to match their lowest output in a nine-inning game this season: Cruz?s homer, a Mark Johnson single, and a 2-for-4 evening by second baseman Brent Abernathy. Neither team scored in the first four innings of action before Portland broke through for four runs against Sounds starter Mike Meyers in the top of the fifth. PCL veteran Manny Alexander opened the scoring with a two-run single before coming plateward on Terrmel Sledge?s RBI double. Jason Kershner relieved Meyers and was greeted by a Jack Cust RBI single that upped the Beavers? advantage to 4-0. Cruz continued his recent surge at the plate when he crushed a two-out, two-run homer to chase Portland starter Seth Etherton in the bottom of the sixth inning. The blast, which cut the Beavers? lead in half to 4-2, plated Abernathy. AUDIO: Nelson Cruz Homers Again -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-22.wma The Beavers increased the lead to 5-2 in the seventh when Sledge scored on a Justin Leone sacrifice fly and tacked on their final runs in the ninth when Nashville reliever Mitch Stetter walked the bases loaded and gave way to Brett Evert, who proceeded to issue a run-scoring free pass to Leone. Two batters later, Evert hit former Sound Bobby Hill with a bases-loaded pitch to increase the score to its final 7-2. Etherton (2-2) picked up the win after working 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while fanning seven. Meyers (1-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings, his shortest of three starts this season. Aquilino Lopez worked the final two frames in scoreless fashion for the Beavers to notch his second save of the year. The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday evening. Knuckleballer Jared Fernandez (1-1, 1.74) mans the bump for the Sounds to face Portland right-hander Eric Junge (4-3, 4.82). ***Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=49992 Sounds slump in loss to Portland By Mark McGee, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent Good pitching can make up for poor hitting. And solid hitting can do wonders for a struggling pitcher. But when neither part of the game is working there are going to be consequences and repercussions. ?I didn?t think we had a lot of energy,? said Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas. ?The dugout was dead. We had no physical injury. I have no idea why. It happens sometimes. You have to be aware of it as a player and do something about it. In my opinion, at this level, it is not up to the coaching staff to get you physically ready to play. There are some things we can do for the mental part, but physically they should be ready to play.? Such was the case for the Nashville Sounds in a 7-2 loss to the Portland Beavers Monday night at Greer Stadium in the first game of a four-game series. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Sounds. Tonight at 6 right-hander Jared Fernandez (1-1, 1.74 ERA) will start for Nashville against right-hander Eric Junge (4-3, 4.82). Portland added one run in the seventh and two in the ninth. Those three runs were driven in by batters who did not have an official at-bat. Justin Leone hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to score Terrmel Sledge. Leone walked with the bases loaded to bring in the first run in the ninth. Bobby Hill was hit by a pitch and brought in the final run as Mitch Stetter and Brett Evert combined for three walks and one hit batter. ?The ninth inning was not very pretty,? Kremblas said. ?Sometimes you lose your command. It is going to happen.? Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer to left field in the sixth inning, the only inning the Sounds produced any runs. Cruz has hit a home run in three straight games. He has 11 for the season, second best in the Pacific Coast League. ?We didn?t do much other than that,? said Kremblas. The Sounds managed only four hits in the game, with Brent Abernathy getting a single and double. Portland scattered 10 hits against five Nashville pitchers. Mike Meyers fell to 1-3 with the loss. Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Final: Brevard County 5, Sarasota (Reds) 4 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Medlin, Manatees outlast Reds C.J. Medlin's sacrfice fly in the bottom of the ninth lifted Brevard County over Sarasota, 5-4, on Monday. Reds reliever Abe Woody hit Charlie Fermaint with a pitch to start the bottom of the ninth and Steve Sollman followed with a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Woody intentionally walked Ryan Braun and walked Brendan Katin to load the bases. Medlin hit a one-out fly ball to right to score Fermaint, as Brevard County (23-20) completed a four-game sweep and won its fifth straight. Down, 4-1, in the eighth, the Manatees rallied to tie the game on a two-run double by Freddy Parejo and Hernan Iribarren's run-scoring two-base hit. Braun and Parejo each had a pair of hits to lead Brevard County. Manatees reliever Dave Johnson (4-3) gave up a run in the eighth, but blanked Sarasota in the ninth to get the win. He allowed two hits and struck out three with a walk. Starter Mark Rogers lasted seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits and fanning six. Woody (2-2) took the loss after issuing three walks and the sacrifice fly to Medlin. Reds starter Camilo Vazquez yielded one run on five hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two. Jim Abbott surrendered three runs on three hits during the seventh and eighth. John Purdom went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, including a two-out run-scoring hit in the eighth, for Sarasota (18-26). The Reds have dropped eight straight. -- Christopher Heine/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Charlie Fermaint wouldn't have reached base in the 9th if not for a dropped foul pop up... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

West Virginia Site Game Summary: CLUTCH HITTING PAYS OFF FOR THE POWER The West Virginia Power scored all six of their runs in Monday morning?s game against the Greenville Drive with two outs, and held off a late Greenville run with a 6-5 win, their sixth victory in the eight-game home stand at Appalachian Power Park. Mat Gamel knocked in Angel Salome on an RBI single in the first inning to give the Power an early advantage. Tony Festa knocked in a run on a double in the fourth and scored later in the inning on Kenny Holmberg?s single. Salome blasted his fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth inning to put the Power ahead 5-0. Mark Wagner drove in the Drive?s first run of the game on an RBI double in the sixth inning. The Drive scored in the seventh on Bubba Bell?s fielder?s choice RBI. The Power scored their final run of the game on Lorenzo Cain?s single in the bottom of the seventh. Greenville plated two runs in the eighth inning. Wagner led the inning off with a triple and scored later in the inning on an errant throw from Gamel. The final run scored on a fielder?s choice RBI from Christian Lara. In the ninth inning Tony Granadillo ripped a two-out RBI double to bring the Drive within a run. Joe Thatcher struck out Chris Turner with the tying run on third and the go ahead run on second to end the game. Rafael Lluberes (3-2) earned the victory, Thatcher (7) earned the save and Michael Bowden (2-3) obtained the loss. The Power are 23-19 after the win and the Drive fell to 22-22 with the loss. Attendance for the game was 8,122. The Power will begin a four game series against the Kannapolis Intimidators at FieldCrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis, North Carolina on Tuesday night. Kannapolis will start right hander Ryan Rote (0-8, 4.93) and the Power will counter with right hander Ronny Malave (3-0, 3.62). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Too many flashbacks to 2002 lately.

First-time in the big-league stories are always fun, but especially when it's written in Alaska -- good stuff here, even if Mabeus now needs to wait another couple of days: Link while active, text follows: www.peninsulaclarion.com/...w005.shtml SoHi grad makes Major move Chris Mabeus picked to pitch for Brewers By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion When Chris Mabeus? son, Boston, started kindergarten this past year in Sacramento, Calif., his family had to fill out an introduction card. One of the items on Boston?s card said the 6-year-old had moved 14 times since he?s been born. The moves came as a result of his 27-year-old father chasing a dream of pitching in the Major Leagues through minor league cities across the country since 2001. Sunday, Mabeus finally got the news he?s been chasing since he was old enough to realize what baseball is. He was told during the seventh inning of a game at Triple-A Nashville that he was being called up to pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers. Mabeus, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander and Soldotna High School graduate, immediately went to the clubhouse to call his wife, Ann, a 1998 SoHi grad. ?She wasn?t able to speak when I told her,? Mabeus said by cell phone from Nashville on Sunday night. ?She was screaming and crying. ?I?ve been on the bus in the minor leagues forever. You jump on the day you sign. It could end with never making a stop in the big leagues. I?m fortunate to have this happen. It?s been a long, windy road.? Mabeus? next call was to his father, Rodney. Mabeus said that since the day he was able to speak he?s wanted to play in the big leagues. He said he has always dreamed of calling his father and saying, ?Today?s the day I?m a Major Leaguer.? That didn?t stop Mabeus from having a little fun with his dad. ?Can you apologize to your son Steve?? Mabeus started the call. After playing out his father?s uncertainty, Mabeus said: ?Can you say sorry to Steve because you?ll have to miss his high school graduation because you?ll be getting a plane ticket to come to Milwaukee?? The family immediately started freaking out and searched for plane tickets to Cincinnati, where the 23-21 Brewers start a three-game series today. Mabeus then called his father- and mother-in-law, Paul and Shirley Zobeck, and discussed moving Ann and the family from Sacramento to Nashville. ?Well, Chris, you know Shirley and I are ready to drive that van,? Paul said. ?But what are you calling for during the game? You?re not calling from the bullpen, are you?? At that point, Mabeus finally let on, ?I?m in the airport, getting ready to go to Milwaukee.? Mabeus spent the first six years of his pro career with Oakland, advancing to Triple-A Sacramento, before he was placed on waivers and signed by the Brewers on May 16. ?I knew if I kept plugging away, something good had to happen if I kept throwing the way I did,? Mabeus said. This season, Mabeus was 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 12 relief appearances for Sacramento, holding opponents to a .219 batting average. On Friday, Mabeus pitched a scoreless inning in his lone appearance with Nashville. The Brewers finished with a .500 record last season for their best mark since 1992. Fueled by young players like Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder and veterans like Geoff Jenkins and Carlos Lee, the team had designs on getting into the playoff race this year. The team has been beset by injuries to right-handed pitchers, though. Franchise cornerstone Ben Sheets continues to be bothered by a sore right shoulder and fellow starter Tomo Ohka also is on the disabled list with shoulder problems. Veteran right-hander Rick Helling, who would have been a candidate to take over for Sheets or Ohka, is rehabbing his injured elbow on the disabled list. Ben Hendrickson struggled in the starting rotation for the Brewers, going 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA. After giving up six runs without recording an out in a loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, Hendrickson was sent down in favor of Mabeus. Mabeus said he is not sure what the Brewers have in mind for him. ?I don?t know and I don?t care,? Mabeus said. ?If they want me to catch in the bullpen, I?ll do it.? When he acquired Mabeus, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin called him a strike-thrower who can pitch an inning or two late in the game. At the time, Melvin said the Brewers? bullpen is pretty strong and he couldn?t imagine calling him up unless an injury occurred. Melvin has had an interest in Mabeus before. He was one of the players considered by Milwaukee in a 2004 trade where the Brewers acquired outfield prospect Nelson Cruz and big-league reliever Justin Lehr from the A?s instead. Mabeus becomes the second player from the central peninsula to make the Major Leagues, joining Marshall Boze. Boze also pitched for the Brewers, accumulating 32 1-3 innings in 1996. ?Marshall was actually a member of the same church as I was,? Mabeus said. ?He could have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated to me. All I ever wanted to do was something like that.? Mabeus said it is a long shot for somebody from Soldotna to make the Major Leagues. He gave credit to the American Legion Twins, Soldotna Little League, Soldotna High School and the Peninsula Oilers for making his dream possible. ?Without those things, I would be working as a teacher or a banker right now,? Mabeus said. ?They allowed me to do what I really wanted to do.?

Ugh... Too good to be true. How can someone with such "great" stuff be so hittable? Just winging it down the middle yelling out "fastball" or "curve"? Rogers gets bashed enough without posting that after the third inning he just had. A ground ball single starts it off -- did you review the game log to see what happened next? The worst thing Rogers did was the walk that immediately followed the single. Otherwise, c'mon... John PurdomIII singles on a ground ball to left fielder Freddy Parejo. Bradley Key walks. John PurdomIII to 2nd. Brandon Roberts singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Mark Rogers. John PurdomIII to 3rd. Bradley Key to 2nd. Javon Moran grounds into a force out, first baseman Josh Murray to catcher CJ Medlin. John PurdomIII out at home. Bradley Key to 3rd. Brandon Roberts to 2nd. Javon Moran to 1st. Paul Janish reaches on force attempt, missed catch error by second baseman Steven Sollmann, assist to shortstop Carlos De La Cruz. Bradley Key scores. Brandon Roberts to 3rd. Javon Moran to 2nd. With Jay Garthwaite batting, passed ball by CJ Medlin, Brandon Roberts scores. Javon Moran to 3rd. Paul Janish to 2nd. Jay Garthwaite walks. Jeremiah Piepkorn strikes out swinging. Cody Strait flies out to center fielder Charlie Fermaint.

Would the Blue Jays trade Ty Tauenheim straight up for Dave Bush today? Man, I really, really dislike this team sometimes...

Final: West Virginia 6, Greenville (Red Sox) 5 Nice win for the over 8,100 in attendance... West Virginia Box Score: Angel Salome HR # 5; turns out LHP Rafael Lluberes was your starter, with a wonderful six innings -- the three Latin arms (Lluberes, Wil Laureano, and Ronny Malave) all remain worthwhile to follow... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Salome's speed nets a first-inning run; nicely manufactured run in the 7th, the eventual game-winner; tying run stranded at third base to end the game... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ CHATTANOOCHIE DOES IT AGAINThe Stars end their long 3-7 road trip with the same dark tale of terror to tell at the plate. If the Stars had committed a crime, here would be the rap sheet: 2.7 runs per game, a .234 batting average, 16 doubles among the 76 hits and not one home run or triple. In five of the seven losses, the Stars scored only one run and in one of them, they didn't score any....... They lost four of five in a series for the first time this season...... There was a 6-4 win against Tennessee and an 8-3 win against Chattanooga in the opening game of that series, but take away those two games, and the Stars have a .207 average and 1.87 runs per game........ The 3-7 trip was the last only since August of last year against Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Tennessee......... Now the Stars return home after a day off, and being ballplayers, they will not brood about the losses, and will only try to dig themselves out of last place. I don't think contention for a first half title is in the cards after this. Callix Crabbe, after hitting .270 in April, is 8-for-62 in May (.129)....... Jeff Eure is hitting .159 this month with added playing time because of Greg Sain's shoulder bruise, incurred in a 2nd inning collision with Ryan Hanigan to score the Stars' only run last Friday. On the positive side, I expect better hitting and run production in the 2nd half. If they get that, and if the excellent pitching we've seen holds up, the Stars can be a contender........ Drew Anderson hit .371 on the trip and Ozzie Chavez, .328. They've been the leading hitters on this 3-10 skid since May 8....... Ron Acuna hit .323 on the trip, mostly in the cleanup position. Don Money stuck Lou Palmisano in there Sunday and the results weren't good. He left two runners on base in scoring position......... Adam Heether hit .289 on the trip, but drove in only two runs and has left nine on base in scoring position with two out. Jeff Housman (limited to 65 pitches) and the Stars faced a familiar opponent in Travis Chick, a # 4 prospect with the Padres a year ago, a # 10 prospect now with the Reds who has, like Clint Goocher of the Smokies, proven to be beatable........ In six games against the Stars last year, Chick was 2-2 with a 7.34 ERA........ He pitched a sparkling game last July 20, holding the Stars to two hits over seven innings in a game Mobile won in 19 innings. That was after being bombed for nine hits and nine runs in 2 1/3 nearly a month before that in a 14-3 rout for the Stars......... He was on today, but I think the Stars could lose to some lower A-ball opponents as it stands right now. Housman was one out away from finishing the 2nd inning with Rick Asadoorian on first after a single and Chick at bat when he lined a 1-1 pitch for a single to left. It marked only the 5th time all year that Housman has given up more than one hit in an inning....... Housman then walked Luis Bolivar to load the bases and then hit Javier Colina on a 3-2 pitch to score Asadoorian with the Lookouts' first run....... The box score doesn't reflect it, so there may have been a later scoring change, but the home plate umpire did say Colina was hit with the pitch, which would have been ball four. In the 4th, Drew Anderson led off with an opposite-field double, his 4th of the road trip, adding to his leading team total of 11........ The doubles hadn't helped much in the past. The Stars had only been 2-7 when he did, but the Stars cashed in this time........ A ground out to the right side by Heether moved him to 3rd, and Anderson scored with two out on a single by Acuna on a 1-1 pitch back through the middle, his 2nd RBI in seven games to tie the game at 1-1. Chattanooga scored the go-ahead run in the 5th after Matt Smith had come in to relieve Housman....... After getting Javier Colina out on a tremendous diving stop by Heether and throw to first, Smith gave up a long double to the warning track by Joey Votto, his 11th of the year. Aaron Herr followed on a one-strike pitch with a fly ball that carried to bounce off the wall in right. Votto only advanced to third because it was not certain if Acuna would catch what had looked to be a fairly routine fly ball. Noochie Varner then connected on a 2-2 pitch to right-center, deep enough to score Votto to give the Lookouts a 2-1 lead........ Varner added another sac fly, his 3rd of the series, in the 7th inning for the Lookouts' final run......... An incredible series for the former Star....... Altogether, nine RBI on only four hits (a .250 average), one of them a double, and one walk. With that sort of production or luck as I see it, the Lookouts were able to win 4-of-5, despite committing seven errors in the series........ David Shafer, fresh off the disabled list, picked up the save, his league-leading 13th of the season. The Stars come to Joe Davis Stadium Tuesday, with Carlos Villanueva facing the Jacksonville Suns' right-hander Justin Orenduff.........Orenduff (2-2, 3.62) has not lost a start since April 28 and pitched six innings of no-hit ball against Mississippi in his last start. Just like a lot of things I suppose, the Huntsville Stars are just a microcosm of life itself....... Players and personnel from so many places coming in and out, bringing their personalities, for good or for bad, their triumphs and tragedies. Last year, we had Jeff Winchester, whose family was upturned by a succession of Gulf Coast hurricanes. Brain cancer ended the life of pitcher Mark Stancel in 1993, pitcher Dave Shotkoski was shot to death outside his hotel in 1995, and just last year, outfielder Mario Encarnacion, playing for the Macoto Cobras of the Chinese Professional League in Taiwan, was found dead in his dormitory room......... One of my favorite exercises is trying to find out where former players have gone after leaving the Stars. Some of the results have turned out to be interesting, but playing around with Google, I ran across another tragedy, of which I had only cursory knowledge of before. Fabio Gomez, who hit .259 as a 2nd baseman-3rd baseman for the Stars in 1993, is sitting on death row in Arizona after being convicted of murdering a female neighbor on December 2, 1999 in Chandler, Arizona, and disposing the body in a dumpster....... He was convicted March 22, 2001 and sentenced to death a little more than two years after that, after appeals and listening to the statements of character witnesses, among who included Southern League president Don Mincher, major leaguers Quinton McCracken and Craig Counsell, and one Booster club member I know of....... The whole sordid story of the crime can be found with a Google search. It's the top item. Perhaps you believe this is tabloid material, but it's my site and there are tragedies going on in Iraq that are far worse than this........ I teased this story with the wrong name previously and I must apologize. Let it be known that the subject of this story was not Fausto Cruz, who was a teammate of Fabio's, but Fabio himself.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=49960 Confusing play highlights Sounds? win By Nate Rau, Sports Correspondent In the bottom of the first inning of Sunday afternoon?s game between Nashville and Tacoma, Sounds slugger Nelson Cruz launched a bases-loaded home run, which by the rules of baseball results in a grand slam. However, the second base umpire initially ruled Cruz?s blast a double and bedlam ensued. Running from first base, Brent Abernathy caught up to Dave Krynzel between third base and home plate. The Rainiers continued playing the ball as if it were a double and threw home, which confused Krynzel, who stopped running. Abernathy then passed Krynzel on the basepath and was subsequently ruled out. In the end, Cruz?s homer was ruled a three-run shot and the Sounds were cost a run because of the call. It didn?t matter as Nashville went on to route the Rainiers 10-1 for its third-straight victory. Abernathy said the Sounds were fortunate the missed call didn?t hurt the team in the end. It bears mentioning, the outfield wall above and below the home run line is strewn with advertising signs. The spot where Cruz?s ball hit is occupied with a white sign and it was somewhat difficult to see the ball against the white backdrop. ?It was a very odd play and thank goodness it didn?t hurt us today,? said Abernathy, who hit a homer and scored two runs for the Sounds. ?I really couldn?t tell you exactly how it happened. It was very strange.? The play underscores a theme around Triple A baseball, since Pacific Coast League umpires are on strike because of a labor dispute. In their place, the PCL is using local college and high school umpires who have performed to mixed reviews. Earlier in the homestand, the Sounds had a problem with a home plate umpire?s strike zone. ?I know there are a lot of ballparks with signs on the outfield wall and there are times where it?s hard to make that call,? Abernathy said. ?I?m not going to say, ?They should have gotten it right.?? Besides Abernathy, a number of other Sounds had excellent performances offensively. Tony Gwynn reached base every time he came to the plate ? finishing 3-for-3 with four runs and a homer. Cruz went 3-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs. Hendrickson coming back: Milwaukee optioned pitcher Ben Hendrickson back to Nashville and recalled reliever Chris Mabeus to take his place. Hendrickson struggled with the Brewers, compiling an 0-2 record and a ERA over 12.

Standings through Sunday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 25 18 .581 - 14-6 11-12 W3[/b] Iowa 18 23 .439 6.0 9-12 9-11 W1 Omaha 18 24 .429 6.5 11-11 7-13 L1 Memphis 13 28 .317 11.0 9-11 4-17 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 29 16 .644 - 19-6 10-10 W4 West Tenn 26 19 .578 3.0 10-10 16-9 L1 Carolina 22 23 .489 7.0 15-10 7-13 W1 Tennessee 21 24 .467 8.0 12-8 9-16 L1 [b]Huntsville 20 24 .455 8.5 9-10 11-14 L4[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 25 17 .595 - 11-10 14-7 L2 Daytona 23 20 .535 2.5 15-9 8-11 W9 [b]Brevard County 22 20 .524 3.0 9-10 13-10 W4[/b] Palm Beach 21 21 .500 4.0 9-12 12-9 L3 Jupiter 18 25 .419 7.5 8-14 10-11 L4 Vero Beach 16 27 .372 9.5 10-14 6-13 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 25 17 .595 - 16-8 9-9 L1 Delmarva 24 17 .585 0.5 13-9 11-8 W3 Greensboro 23 19 .548 2.0 17-7 6-12 W4 [b]West Virginia 22 19 .537 2.5 12-10 10-9 L1[/b] Lakewood 22 20 .524 3.0 14-8 8-12 W2 Lake County 21 22 .488 4.5 11-10 10-12 L3 Hickory 17 23 .425 7.0 8-10 9-13 W1 Hagerstown 17 25 .405 8.0 9-9 8-16 L2

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

Follow Monday'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_nasaaa_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1