Jim Goulart

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David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ BIBBS PROMOTED TO NASHVILLECARLOS RUNS OUT OF CHARM Former Huntsville Star Noochie Varner singled off the glove of reliever Russ Rohlicek to score Luis Bolivar in the 7th inning, giving the Chattanooga Lookouts a comeback 5-4 victory over the Stars........ Carlos Villanueva came into the game with an astounding record of one earned run allowed over 26 1/3 innings on the road, and had just come off a rare nine-inning complete game one-hitter against the Smokies, one of only six ever pitched by the Stars in their history. For a complete list of the rest, and a history of Stars' one-hitters, click on the "standings" link www.starsboxscore.com/standing.htm ........ But Villanueva met a frustrated Chattanooga team that is trying to hold onto 1st place in the Northern Division. They won for just the 2nd time in their last eight games. Tim Dillard (2-3) will take the mound against Steve Kelly, Friday. Kelly is a minor league vet with a 20-11 record going into his 3rd season with the Lookouts. According to rotoworld.com, the Toronto Blue Jays are expected to call up Ty Taubenheim from Class AAA-Syracuse (IL) to replace Gustavo Chacin, who was scheduled to pitch against the Colorado Rockies. Taubenheim was 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA in seven starts at Syracuse. He's going to have a challenging time making his big league debut at Coors Field........ Taubenheim, once he makes his debut, will be the 156th former Huntsville Star to make it to the majors........ The J.J. Hardy injury in Milwaukee has had a ripple effect. The Brewers called up Corey Hart from Nashville, and in return, Kennard Bibbs received his first promotion to Triple-A. The Sounds lost to Tacoma, Thursday, 4-1. Bibbs appeared as a pinch-runner for catcher Mark Johnson in that game....... As you've probably noticed from a look at the box score, the Stars welcomed back Travis Ezi, who was hitting .300 at Brevard County. Ezi hit .226 in 17 games last year for the Stars until he was sent back down to the Manatees on May 28. Coming up this weekend, I'll tell you a sad story about former Huntsville Star Fausto Cruz, and I'll clue you as to who is leaving the most runners on base with two out at this point in the season, as well as who's hot and who's not.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006051930/ Malave pitches Power past the GreenJackets Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter The calendar may read middle May, but the weather at Appalachian Power Park Thursday evening was more suited for pigskin than rawhide. Fortunately for the 3,482 fans on hand, the unseasonably chilly temperature and an hour-long rain delay before the game started, did little to cool the West Virginia Power's rapidly warming play. While riding a solid pitching performance by starter Ronny Malave and a 14-hit attack, the Power scored early and often to top the visiting Augusta GreenJackets, 8-4. The win gave the Power (20-18) a 3-1 series win over Augusta (21-17), which entered the series as one of the South Atlantic League's hottest clubs. In the process, the Power continued its own hot play at home, winning for the ninth time in its last 13 games at Appalachian Power Park. That's significant considering the Power lost five of its first six home games. "We are pretty happy with our performance lately," said Power Manager Mike Guerrero. "The guys are coming together and they're playing pretty good baseball right now. "We're doing a lot of things right. We're playing more fundamentally sound baseball and we're doing the little things now. Once a team starts doing the little things and playing fundamentally, you're going to win more games. "Pitching and defense go hand and hand and if you put them with good timely hitting, you've got a good chance to win games. Right now, we're starting to put all those things together." After a sluggish first inning, Malave, in just his second start of the season, tossed six strong innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while improving his record to 3-0. Malave's ERA climbed from 3.38 to a still respectable 3.62. After surrendering a leadoff single to Augusta's Ben Copeland, Malave allowed a one-out, two-run homer off the bat of Mike Mooney for a quick 2-0 deficit. But Malave, a 20-year old Venezuelan native, settled down, allowing only four hits and one run over the next five innings. Robbie Wooley tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the Power, before giving way to Joe Thatcher, who surrendered a run and a hit in the ninth. The Power activated Wooley from the disabled list and assigned Brandon Parillo to extended spring training Thursday. At the plate, the Power was paced by speedy leadoff man Darren Ford, who finished with two hits, two runs, one RBI and three stolen bases. Ford, blessed with world class sprinter speed, is among the South Atlantic League leaders with 16 stolen bases. "He can run, that's his best tool," said Guerrero of the 20-year old Ford. "He's going to use it and I'm going to use it. People are going to have throw him out because he's going to keep running. "I'm going to keep sending him and we'll see what happens at the end of the year." Designated hitter Mat Gamel also was solid at the plate with three hits, including a triple and RBI. Gamel's triple appeared to sail over the right centerfield fence, but was ruled in play by the umpiring crew after a lengthy on-field discussion. Tony Festa, Angel Salome and Ned Yost each had two hits.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006051851 Power pounds out 14 hits in 8-4 win over Augusta By Doug Smock Charleston Staff writer Let it be known: The basepaths at Appalachian Power Park survived the onslaught Thursday. After Rice?s 26-6 pole-axing of Marshall, the West Virginia Power got a late start against the Augusta GreenJackets ? literally and metaphorically. But when the Buck Night festivities wound down past 11 p.m., the Power sent its four-game visitor off with an 8-4 thumping. A crowd of 3,482 waited through a one-hour rain delay at the start. With the chilly weather, not many stayed to see the 44th run of the day cross home plate. The Power (20-18) took three in the four-game series, and will welcome the Boston-affiliated Greenville Drive tonight for the first of four contests. First pitch tonight is 7:05 (6:05 Central). Thursday night, the Power spotted the GreenJackets a 2-0 lead, then blew by them with two runs in the second and four in the third. All told, the Power pounded out 14 hits, with five players rapping out two or more. Mat Gamel went 3-for-4. Starter Ronny Malave (3-0) was the beneficiary of all that offense. After yielding a first-inning home run to Mike Mooney, he held Augusta (21-17) scoreless through the rest of his six innings. Though he gave up another home run, to John Armitage in the fourth, he yielded a respectable three runs on six hits. The Power essentially put the game away in the third inning, scoring four runs to break a 2-2 tie. Darren Ford led off with a single and stole the first of his three bases. Angel Salome singled him in to put the Power ahead 3-2, then Gamel tripled to make it 4-2. At that point, Augusta shortstop David Maroul made his contribution, committing errors on the next two batters and endearing himself to the hecklers. Tony Festa doubled in the final run of the inning, making it 6-2. The Power made up the 2-0 deficit in the previous inning. Mike Bell led off with a single, moved to second and scored on a Festa single. The game was tied when second baseman Eugenio Velez muffed a Ned Yost pop-up. While Velez ran a distance to get to the ball, Yost was awarded a triple in one of the most generous hometown scoring decisions in recent Charleston minor-league history. West Virginia extended its lead with a run in the fourth on a Lorenzo Cain sacrifice fly and in the fifth on a Ford single. POWER POINTS: The Power has won nine of its last 12 games, and rapped out 47 hits in the four-game series against Augusta. ... Paid attendance for the season is 57,945 -- 3,219 per home date.

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Tacoma topples Sounds Veteran Thompson retires following loss By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer At least the Nashville Sounds will eventually stop their losing streak, which extended to a season-high four games with Thursday's 4-1 loss to visiting Tacoma. Justin Thompson, the Sounds' veteran left-handed pitcher who has battled arm problems virtually since pitching in the 1997 All-Star Game as a member of the Detroit Tigers, lost his third straight decision. It'll be the last loss of the 33-year-old's career, as he announced his retirement immediately following the game. "I could tell things weren't working," said Thompson, who pitched Nashville's first nine-inning complete game in nearly two years and allowed eight hits but struck out nine. "I'd been getting my butt beat in my last couple of outings. "I kinda knew it was time. I'm glad I got one more to go out and give it all I had. They didn't have me on a pitch count; I just put the hammer down. I knew it was my last game. Of course I want to stay around. But physically, I just can't." Thompson fell behind 1-0 on a second-inning leadoff homer by Greg Dobbs, then gave up another run on Michael Garciaparra's fifth-inning RBI double. In the ninth, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-out, two-run homer to extend the margin to 4-0. The Sounds were no-hit through the first four innings before Vinny Rottino's bloop double led off the fifth. Nashville scored in the ninth when Tony Gwynn's bases-loaded sacrifice fly drove in Jermaine Clark. "He felt like he was done, but he went out and pitched a hell of a game," Gwynn said of Thompson. "He didn't get the victory, but he went out in a good way." "This is much bigger than the game at this point. You wanted him to throw a no-hitter. This is definitely not a typical loss." Thompson fell to 2-3, with an earned run average of 6.11. "He wasn't throwing like he wanted to, even though he can still pitch ? as he showed," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said. "But 16 years is a great career, and he's an even better person." What they said: "It'll be one that'll stick in my mind for a while. I'll have a lot of time to think. I'm going to go home and rest for a while, spend some time with my family and get reacquainted with them." ? Thompson, who pitched a complete game before announcing his retirement.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=49941 Sounds lose fourth straight; pitcher retires By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent The feast-or-famine Nashville Sounds are headed in the wrong direction. Nashville has now lost ten of its last 13 games after taking a 4-1 loss to Tacoma on Thursday night at Greer Stadium. The Sounds, who have also lost four in a row, won 12 of 14 games before the current slide. After the game Sounds starter Justin Thompson ?who pitched a complete game ? announced his retirement from baseball. Thompson has battled injuries the last several years. He informed his teammates in a 10-minute meeting. Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said his team?s performance isn?t a carry-over from its 2-6 road trip. Although the team dug itself a four-run hole before rallying in the bottom of the ninth, Nashville (22-18) had other chances to put runs on the scoreboard but couldn?t manage the clutch hit. The only Sounds run came in the final inning on a bases-loaded fly ball to left from Tony Gwynn, which scored Jermaine Clark. ?It is not a carry-over,? Kremblas said. ?I thought we played well. [We had] two chances with guys on third base with less than two outs and we didn?t put the ball in play. We had [a few] chances to get a guy in with two outs and we just couldn?t come up with the big hit.? Nashville could only manage a solitary hit through five innings off Tacoma starter Clint Nageotte, who Kremblas said benefited from a liberal strike zone. ?He threw a lot of off-speed pitches behind in the count, kept the ball down pretty well. He made pitches when he had to or got favorable strike calls early in the count to put us behind,? Kremblas said. ?[some of the pitches were] too low in my opinion. If they?re going to call that pitch a strike, it?s tough to play off some of his tougher pitches. Like I said, he kept the ball down and did a good job.? Thompson?s complete game was Nashville?s first nine-inning complete game since 2004 ? but he took the loss. Thompson, who also struck out nine, allowed a home run in the second inning to Greg Dobbs and another in the ninth to Asdrubal Cabrera. ?I thought he did a great job,? Kremblas said of Thompson. ?He made the one mistake to Dobbs.? Brand new Sounds: Nashville made a number of roster moves on Thursday. Outfielder Corey Hart was promoted to Milwaukee on Wednesday and Kennard Bibbs was promoted from Double-A Huntsville to take his place. Additionally, pitcher Jared Fernandez rejoined the team after accepting his outright assignment from Milwaukee. Reliever Chris Mabeus was also claimed off waivers from Sacramento.

LHP Justin Thompson of Nashville announced his retirement after Thursday's game. A few details will be posted in the Link Report for Games of Thursday May 18th.

Link with several photos, text follows: www.nashvillescene.com/St...dex.shtml# Ballpark Frank Nashville Sounds players and staff line up for Q&A about the game of summer by Kay West, Nashville Scene ?Baseball is so boring.? Here are some possible responses to that inane statement, commonly uttered by people who wouldn?t know RBI from ERA or Triple A from AA: 1. Roll your eyes, shake your head and have another beer. 2. Say ?Bless your heart? and have another beer. 3. Have pity on the people who admit to such ignorance, take them out to a ballgame and try to explain the immeasurable intricacies and timeless wonders of the only one of the big four sports that is not played to a clock. Let them buy the beer. On April 14, the Pacific Coast League champion Nashville Sounds opened their 2006 home season at Greer Stadium, the 29-year-old ballpark that will in 2008 be replaced by a sparkling new downtown facility designed to look old. Yes, Greer really is old, it?s shabby, and, reportedly, its visitor?s clubhouse is the scourge of the league. But the 2005 team?the guys on the field, the ones on the bench and the ones toiling behind the scenes?rose above all of that to produce some of the franchise?s most exciting ball in its storied history. One month into the five-month season, the 2006 edition was off to a fast start, atop the standings in the American North division. You don?t have to know the game to enjoy an afternoon or evening at the park; there?s something about baseball that brings out the kid in all of us. In the words of L.A. Dodger Roy Campanella?the first black catcher in Major League history, three-time National League MVP and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, ?You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too.? For baseball fans and novices, some questions for and answers from the 2006 Nashville Sounds Boys of Summer. FRANK KREMBLAS, Manager Why do baseball coaches wear a uniform? I don?t know. I guess it?s tradition?baseball is all about tradition. The Sounds lead the league in stolen bases. Who?s fastest? Jermaine Clark is leading the team. Corey Hart is really fast, but in a 60-yard-dash, Dave Krynzel wins every time. Which players should fans not get too attached to? Of pitchers, we?re likely to see Dana Eveland, Zach Jackson and Dennis Sarfate go up. Position players?Tony Gywnn Jr., Nelson Cruz, Hart. Is it harder to play ball or manage ballplayers? Play ball, definitely. You have to be so strong mentally, you have to resist being results-oriented, especially as a hitter, because of how hard it is to hit a ball. GARY PETTIS, Hitting Coach Is hitting the ball the hardest thing to do in baseball? Yes, it is. It looks so easy from the stands, the ball looks like it?s coming in so slow. But in reality, in pro ball, you have less than three-tenths of a second to decide?swing or not? Chances that someone who is unskilled or untrained can do it are slim to none. What is the key to hitting home runs? Timing and leverage. People think that it?s the arms, but it?s not. You get your strength from your legs, and that gives you leverage. Which players have the legs and timing to hit lots of home runs this year? Nelson Cruz, Corey Hart, Mike Rivera, Brad Nelson and Vinny Rottino. You were a five-time Gold Glove winner during your Major League career. What does a Gold Glove look like? A glove that?s painted gold. STAN KYLES, Pitching Coach How fast is a fastball? A Major League fastball averages about 89-90 mph. But with a fastball, it?s the placement. The hardest pitch to hit is a well-placed fastball. Why is a struggling pitcher sometimes left in the game? At this level, it?s not always about results, but how they are developing. A young pitcher sometimes has to be given the opportunity to work the problem out. Sometimes, we just might not have anyone in the bullpen available for that situation. Is thinking too much bad for a pitcher? It?s not the thinking so much as the worrying. Just before they go into the game is a critical time; if they are apprehensive about doing poorly, that can affect their performance. They have to be able to live with the consequences of a bad pitch. Is it hard for a pitcher to shut out all the noise and focus? It?s easy to focus on the batter; it?s harder to focus on the glove. The successful pitchers are the ones who hardly see the batter, they focus on the glove. It?s just a high-level game of catch; play catch with the catcher, and everything else will take care of itself. JUSTIN THOMPSON, LHP, Starter Did you start out as a starter? Yes, until I got a bunch of injuries, then they sent me to the bullpen. I had four surgeries in one year. This is my first year as a starter since 1999. Do you brush off the catcher very often? No. When you battle the catcher, you battle yourself. In your 16th pro season, how are you pitching? My arm is pretty raggedy. I try to spot my fastball good and confuse them with my breaking ball. It?s all smoke and mirrors. ALLAN SIMPSON, RHP, Reliever Why is it called a bullpen? I don?t know. I?ll bet no one in the bullpen knows either. What kind of reliever are you? I?m a middle reliever. I set up for the closer. I usually come in when the game is close and go about two innings. I?m very aggressive. I throw fastballs. What?s the fastest you?ve ever thrown? My fastest was 99 mph. I usually hit 91-93, and I?ll touch 95 on occasion. MARK JOHNSON, Catcher If pitchers aren?t supposed to think too much, does the catcher have to think more? Yes. I wish I could do all the thinking for them. What is your pet peeve when it comes to pitchers? Shaking me off. If they have a better idea, that?s fine. But if they shake me off just to do it, that pisses me off, especially the young pitchers who think they know everything. What is the hardest pitch to catch? A good knuckleball. When you argue with the umpire, what is guaranteed to get you kicked out of the game? Anything with a ?you? in it will get you tossed. CHRIS BARNWELL, Infielder What are the hardest balls to catch? On the infield, balls hit extremely hard to first or third?there?s no time to react. Flyballs are hard?you can look stupid really easily. What is the hardest position to play? Catcher, definitely. Physically it?s really tough, and mentally, his brain never gets to take a break. How does the perception in the stands differ from the reality on the field? Everything looks so slow from the stands, and everything happens so fast on the field. Good ballplayers slow the game down by being ready, having your glove where it?s supposed to be, and being where you?re supposed to be. TONY GWYNN JR., Outfielder What do you think of this stadium? A lot of other stadiums look old but they?re new. This one looks old, and it is. Is catching a fly ball harder than it looks? (Laughs)The best way to gauge how hard it is, watch how many are caught in the stands, even with people wearing gloves. You have to position yourself. By the time a fly ball gets to the top of its flight, you know where it will come down. What if you lose a ball in its flight? If you lose it, don?t panic, you?ll lose focus. Just stay calm, and you?ll find it. JEFF PAXSON, Trainer What does a trainer do? I?m the caretaker of the player?s body. My main focus is shoulders and elbows, and preventative maintenance on an older guy with multiple surgeries. Who are the fittest players on the team? Chris Barnwell, Vinny Rottino, Tony Gwynn Jr., Nelson Cruz, Dave Krynzel. What?s the worst on-field injury you?ve seen? Last year, when the piece of the broken bat pierced (pitcher) Rick Helling?s forearm and stuck there. J.R. RINALDI, Clubhouse and Equipment Manager What do you do? I take care of everything in the clubhouse?I unlock it every morning and lock it up every night. I?m in charge of uniforms, equipment, and I cook the post-game meal. Do you personally wash all the uniforms? Yes. I have two 50-pound washers, one regular washer and two 50-pound dryers. Do players get to request a number? They can choose from what numbers are available in their size. I tell them, in the big leagues, you get it all. In the minors, you get what you get, so keep your mouth shut and be happy to be here. KEN THOMAS, Stadium Operations Director How many light bulbs are there in the scoreboard? There are 180,000 15-watt bulbs, but the biggest things are the drivers. They drive the lights that make the special effects on the scoreboard. When the drivers go out, we?re in trouble. What are the messiest nights of the week? Thirsty Thursday is bad, because people get drunk and spill beer. Faith Fridays and Fireworks Saturdays because they are our biggest crowds. The snow cones with the syrup and the nacho cheese are the hardest things to clean up. What is your policy on kicking people out? You have to do something pretty bad. I caught a guy peeing over the fence behind the concourse one night. We gave him a strong warning and told him not to do it again. But two strikes, you?re out. RICKI SCHLABACH, Director of Ticketing What is the best cheap seat? Anything in general admission, or use a ticket discount. You have to work pretty hard to pay full price for a ticket here. What is the best deal? The Family Fun Pack. Four best available tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks and 25 percent off a souvenir, for $48. What?s the easiest way to buy tickets? Go online and print it out at home; you never have to talk to anyone. JOHN LAWRENCE, Usher Are the little kids a pain in the neck? No! The little kids are great! What about their parents? That can be a problem. They are having fun and think they can use the ushers as babysitters. They need to be responsible for their children, and be alert for foul balls. DAVID CHEATHAM, Beer Vendor What?s the best way to get your attention? So many people know me, they just yell, ?Hey David!? But if not, ?Hey, Beer Man? will do. Where is the best drinking section? I?d have to say over on the first base side, behind the visitors? dug out. MARK LAWRENCE, Food & Beverage Director What is the most popular concession item? Barbecue nachos?tortilla chips, cheese sauce, barbecue, sour cream and jalapeños. They go great with beer. When is the fastest time to go to the concession stand? Right after the game starts. How much beer do you go through on Thirsty Thursday? We did 43 kegs the first one this season. My record is 70. OZZIE, Sounds Mascot What is Ozzie? A cougar. What do children do that annoys Ozzie? Pull his tail, poke him and kick his leg. What is Ozzie?s record on the Icee Base Race? Three wins, 5,000 losses.

West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power use four-run third inning to beat Augusta The West Virginia Power fell behind the Augusta GreenJackets early in Thursday night?s game at Appalachian Power Park, but rallied in the third inning, scoring four runs and went on to win the final game of the series 8-4. Mike Mooney hit his second home run in as many days, a two-run blast in the top of the first inning to give the GreenJackets the early advantage. The Power answered with a pair in the bottom of the second. Tony Festa drove in the first run on a single and scored later in the inning on Ned Yost?s triple. Darren Ford began the four-run third inning with a single and scored on Angel Salome?s base hit. Mat Gamel followed Salome with an RBI triple and scored later in the inning on David Maroul?s error. Festa drove in the final run on an RBI double. John Armitage hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to bring the GreenJackets within five. In the bottom of the fourth inning Ford drew a leadoff walk, then stole two bases before scoring on Lorenzo Cain?s sacrifice fly. The Power plated their final run of the game in the fifth inning on Ford?s RBI single. Augusta scored the last run of the game in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI single from Mooney. Ronny Malave (3-0) earned the victory, and Ronnie Ray (3-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 20-18 after the win and the GreenJackets fell to 21-17 with the loss. The Power will begin a four game series against the Greenville Drive on Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. Greenville will start right hander Chris Jones (2-0, 1.71) and West Virginia will counter with right hander Kevin Roberts (2-5, 5.05). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Final: West Virginia 8, Augusta (Giants) 4 West Virginia Box Score: RHP Ronny Malave with a quality start, surrendering three runs on two HR balls; nice to see Robbie Wooley's return so soon; speedster Darren Ford with three stolen bases, now 16-for 19 on the season; Mat Gamel on base four times, Ford and Ned Yost three times each -- Yost's average climbing after the dreadful start; team defense (tonight Mike Bell and Angel Salome) still with much to be desired... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: In the 4th, Ford walks, steals two bases, and scores on the next batter, Lorenzo Cain's sacrifice fly -- speed kills; unique error on Salome in the 8th -- strikeout required a throw to first base, which was off-line... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Interestingly, as a result of all the transactions listed recently, it's not just the parent Brewers carrying 13 pitchers. Nashville, even with Wilton Chavez added to the disabled list, now has 13 active pitchers. The Sounds bench consists of a catcher, an infielder, and an outfielder (on most nights, Kennard Bibbs). In series when the DH is used, such as the current series against Tacoma, the bench is made up of one plus a catcher. And then, of course, Justin Thompson throws a complete game on 73 pitches http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

Final: Tacoma (Mariners) 4, Nashville 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Justin Thompson photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1958 Sounds Open Homestand With 4-1 Loss NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds opened their homestand with the club?s fourth consecutive loss on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium, falling 4-1 to the Tacoma Rainiers in the opener of a four-game series. The four-game skid is the longest of the season for Nashville (22-18). Tacoma took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on first baseman Greg Dobbs? sixth home run of the year, a leadoff solo shot to right-center off Sounds starter Justin Thompson. Thompson (2-3) took a loss in his third straight start after giving up four runs during his complete-game outing. He struck out a season-best nine batters, matching the best single-game effort by a Sounds hurler this season (Ben Sheets also fanned nine in a rehab start on April 11). With his effort, Thompson became the first Nashville hurler to toss a nine-inning complete game since Nelson Figueroa on July 28, 2004 against Salt Lake. The Rainiers doubled the lead to 2-0 in the fifth on Michael Garciaparra's one-out RBI double to left that brought in Asdrubal Cabrera. Both offenses remained silent until the ninth when Cabrera belted a two-out, two-run homer off Thompson to double the visitors? advantage to 4-0. The blast, which came on a 3-2 pitch and scored Mike Morse, was the infielder?s second of the year. Nashville broke up Tacoma?s shutout bid by pushing a run across in the bottom of the ninth. The Sounds loaded the bases with one out against Rainiers reliever Renee Cortez on three consecutive singles by Jermaine Clark, Chris Barnwell, and Mark Johnson. Tony Gwynn followed with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Clark to make it a 4-1 game. Cortez recovered to retire Dave Krynzel on a game-ending groundout to avoid further damage and secure his first save of the year. Tacoma starter Clint Nageotte (5-2) picked up his second straight win by holding the Sounds to only one hit over five scoreless innings of work. He did not allow a knock until Vinny Rottino?s double that led off the bottom of the fifth. The teams continue the series on Friday evening with a 7 p.m. meeting. Nashville left-hander Zach Jackson (1-2, 2.70) mans the bump to face Tacoma right-hander Francisco Cruceta (1-3, 4.94). Nashville Box Score: 73-pitch complete game for Justin Thompson in the loss -- 65 strikes -- wow, only eight balls missed the mark and were taken by Rainier batters... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: Chris Barnwell struck out in the 5th, one out, man on 3rd; huge chance in the 6th wasted, especially by a very untimely Brad Nelson strikeout... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

That's at least 40 organizational transactions for the month of May thus far. Please remember you can always click on our "Transactions" Link on any Title Bar for the sortable database: www.brewerfan.net/ViewTransactions.do

Nashville Media Notes: FERNANDEZ RETURNS TO SOUNDS; CHAVEZ PLACED ON D.L.: Right-hander Jared Fernandez has rejoined the Sounds after accepting his outright assignment to the club. He was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Tuesday and cleared waivers. Fernandez made two relief appearances for the Brewers during his second stint with the club, allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings, and posted a cumulative 9.95 ERA in four games for the club. In four PCL outings (one start) this season, the knuckleballer is 1-1with two saves and a 1.62 ERA (3 ER / 16.2 IP). To clear a spot for Fernandez on the roster, right-hander Wilton Chavez has been placed on the Sounds? disabled list due to a right ankle sprain.

Final: Chattanooga (Reds) 5, Huntsville 4 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=839 Late Rally Leads Lookouts Past Stars Luis Bolivar doubled home the tying run as a pinch-hitter and scored the winning run in a seventh inning rally to lift Chattanooga to a 5-4 comeback win over Huntsville Thursday night at BellSouth Park. The Lookouts snapped a four-game losing streak and won for just the second time in eight games to improve to 26-16, while the Stars lost for a third time in four games to drop to 20-21 and fall five and a half games behind the division leading Lookouts. Stars? starter Carlos Villanueva took a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning and struck out the lead off hitter Miguel Perez for his fifth punch out of the night. Villanueva then fielded a bunt attempt by Anderson Machado and first baseman Jeff Eure could not handle the throw, allowing Machado to reach base. With Machado breaking, Bolivar lined a 2-1 pitch just inside the left field line and the ball rolled into the corner for a double that plated the Lookouts? shortstop to tie the game at four and knock Villanueva out of the game. Huntsville manager Don Money called on left-hander Russ Rohlicek and he allowed an infield hit to lefty-swinging Chris Dickerson that pushed Bolivar to third base. Noochie Varner then sent a ground ball off of Rohlicek?s glove toward second base that Callix Crabbe, moving to his right, could not come up with. The ball got past him out into center field for a single that pushed across Bolivar with the go-ahead run and sent Dickerson to third. Rohlicek avoided further trouble by striking out Joey Votto and retiring Aaron Herr on a ground out to third base. Villanueva was charged with the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits and dropped to 4-3. It was his first loss in five outings on the road and the first time he had given up more than one run on the road. He had stingily surrendered only one run in 26.2 innings away from home. Ozzie Chavez clubbed a three-run home run in the third inning, and Adam Heether doubled in a run to cap a four-run rally that staked the Stars to the early lead. It was Chavez?s first long ball of the year and his second straight game with three RBI. He had knocked in only one run all year as a right-hand hitter before the home run. Votto hit a two-out solo home run to right-center field that just cleared the wall and the glove of leaping center fielder Steve Moss to get the home team on the board in the fourth. Herr doubled and scored on a Rick Asadoorian single three batters later to cut the Stars lead to 4-2. Javier Colina hit a solo home run to left-field in the sixth to trim the visitors lead to one and mark the first time since April 11 that Villanueva has allowed two round trippers in a game. The Stars loaded the bases in the seventh against Carlos Alvarado on two walks and a bunt base hit by Chavez but were thwarted when Ron Acuna grounded out. Greg Sain drew a pinch-hit walk from Brock Till with one out in the ninth and pinch-runner Travis Ezi advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by catcher Miguel Perez and to third on a Crabbe fly ball out before Chavez walked to put runners at the corners. Till earned his first save of the year and completed two scoreless frames by getting Drew Anderson to ground out to end the game. The series continues Friday night when the Stars send right-hander Tim Dillard to the mound against Chattanooga right-hander Steve Kelly. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 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: Reliever Steve Bray's update: 1.74 ERA, zero walks and 27 K's in 31 IP; Lookout reliever Carlo Alvarado a long-forgotten former Brewer farmhand (High Desert)... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Stars grounded into three double plays in the first five innings... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

Final: Brevard County 10, Lakeland (Tigers) 3 Brevard County Box Score: Ryan Braun (5) and Charlie Fermaint (2) with HR's; all nine in the lineup with at least one hit -- six players with two hits apiece; hack attack tonight -- 15 hits, no walks drawn; quality start for Yo Gallardo -- 11 ground ball outs in six innings; LHP Jeremy Lewis and RHP Josh Alliston continue their good work as well; a cozy 347 in attendance... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Fermaint's HR led off the game; Braun's HR to the opposite field; Gallardo ended his stint with a double-play grounder; five consecutive Manatees singled in the 8th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503

West Virginia Press Release: CHARLESTON, WV (May 18, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, right handed pitcher Robbie Wooley was activated after spending nearly two weeks on the disabled list. Left handed pitcher Brandon Parillo was sent to extending spring training to make room for Wooley. Wooley was placed on the disabled list on May 5 after experiencing soreness in his right elbow. Wooley was 1-1 on the year with a 4.50 ERA over five starts before heading to the disabled list. Brandon Parillo was 1-0 with a 9.31 ERA over seven appearances. Parillo spent time on the disabled list earlier in the season after experiencing soreness in his elbow.

Huntsville Site: Link for Kennard Bibbs photo, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=838 Bibbs Promoted To Triple-A The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that Stars outfielder Kennard Bibbs has been promoted to Triple-A Nashville and Brevard County outfielder and former Star Travis Ezi has been promoted to Huntsville. Bibbs, who spent the entire 2005 season with the Stars, batted .245 with no home runs and seven RBI in 33 games for Huntsville this season. He was selected by the Brewers in the 14th round of the 2002 draft and will be seeing his first action at the Triple-A level. Ezi, who played in 17 games last season for the Stars and hit .226 with no home runs and three RBI, will leave Brevard County after hitting an even .300 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and five triples. The switch hitting outfielder was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for catcher Mark Johnson in March of 2005.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006051830/ Mediocre season weighing heavily on player's mind Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Some people are their own worst critics. West Virginia Power infielder Ryan Crew is a perfect example. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, Gourmet Magazine food critic Ruth Reichl and American Idol music critic Simon Cowell couldn't have combined to give Crew a harsher review than the one he gave himself Wednesday after a 3-for-4 hitting performance in a 6-3 loss to the Augusta Greenjackets. It marked his eighth multi-hit game and third three-hit game this season. With that in mind, he was asked if it were his best performance so far. "It was my luckiest performance," Crew said bluntly. "I have been waiting all season to get some quote-unquote lucky hits. I got three of them tonight. Maybe that will get me going. "This is by far the worst stretch or slump or whatever you want to call it of my career." Two of his three singles came on hit-and-run plays that drew cheers from the Appalachian Power Park crowd of 2,731 fans. "He executed," hitting coach Mike Lum said of the 6-foot, 175-pound Crew, whom the Milwaukee Brewers drafted in the 40th round last year from the University of Texas-San Antonio. "That isn't luck; that is skill." An ankle injury to Kenny Holmberg led to a position switch for Crew, who shifted from shortstop to second base in place of his hobbled teammate. Incidentally, Crew has been more productive since Holmberg sprained his left ankle April 28. Crew was 17-for-67 (.254) with four runs and eight RBI in his 17 games before Holmberg's injury. Since his move to second base, Crew is 18-for-59 (.305) with 12 runs and eight RBI in 16 games. His batting average has climbed 24 points during that span, rising from .254 to .278. Yet, he isn't impressed. "Technically, I haven't been hitting all that great lately," said Crew, whom Baseball America calls the Brewers' third-best minor-league shortstop. "It has been the same thing everyday for me -- 1-for-4, 1-for-5, 1-for-4. "Tonight, I finally got the weight off my shoulders because I finally got more than one hit. "So far, it is a very disappointing season for me and for the team also. One game over .500 -- that isn't what we expected. There are a lot of guys in the same situation as me -- doing enough to be decent. "But no one is doing exceptionally great. Once we all get to the point where we should be, things will fall into place." To make matters worse, Crew can't leave the game and his performance at the ballpark. "A lot easier said than done," said Crew, a 22-year-old native of Richmond, Texas. "Unfortunately, I'm the guy who goes home every night and looks at the numbers. "You have a lot more pressure than fans and other people notice. It's tough." Manager Mike Guerrero and Lum want Crew to relax. "He puts too much pressure on himself," Lum said. "He needs to learn to relax and enjoy the game. He is a good player and a good hitter. "Sometimes, you set standards you can't achieve as a player because you set them too high. You do the best you can. He sets his standards way, way, way too high." Guerrero wants Crew to keep his hitting in perspective. "He is one of the guys on the team who hits the ball the hardest, but it has been line drives right at people," Guerrero said. "It's OK to not be satisfied with a single. "But when you hit the ball hard right at people, there isn't nothing you can do about it. There are things you can't control. "He has been swinging the bat great since the beginning of the season. It's just a matter of time before the balls start dropping in for hits. He would do so much better if he would just relax." Crew realizes there is plenty of time to improve his statistics and hone his skills. "When you are struggling, like me, and a lot of the other guys are, you have to know you have (more than) 100 games and (more than) 300 at-bats left," said Crew, who ranked fourth in batting average (.346) and fifth in doubles (19) in the Pioneer League last season when he and most of his teammates played for Helena. "It's a long season."

Photo from Wednesday's action: Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman Power outfielder Darren Ford (15) can?t keep a shot off the bat of Augusta?s Mike Mooney from clearing Appalachian Power Park?s center field wall. http://www.dailymail.com/images/Dognight30518.jpg

Standings through Wednesday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 22 17 .564 - 11-5 11-12 L3[/b] Omaha 17 21 .447 4.5 11-11 6-10 L1 Iowa 15 22 .405 6.0 9-12 6-10 W2 Memphis 12 25 .324 9.0 8-8 4-17 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 25 16 .610 - 15-6 10-10 L4 West Tenn 24 17 .585 1.0 8-8 16-9 L2 [b]Huntsville 20 20 .500 4.5 9-10 11-10 W1[/b] Carolina 20 21 .488 5.0 13-8 7-13 W4 Tennessee 19 22 .463 6.0 12-8 7-14 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 23 15 .605 - 10-10 13-5 L1 Palm Beach 20 18 .526 3.0 8-9 12-9 L1 Daytona 19 20 .487 4.5 11-9 8-11 W5 [b]Brevard County 18 20 .474 5.0 6-10 12-10 L3[/b] Jupiter 18 21 .462 5.5 8-14 10-7 W3 Vero Beach 13 26 .333 10.5 8-13 5-13 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 22 16 .579 - 13-7 9-9 L2 Delmarva 21 16 .568 0.5 10-9 11-7 L1 [b]West Virginia 19 18 .514 2.5 9-9 10-9 L1[/b] Lake County 20 19 .513 2.5 10-10 10-9 L1 Greensboro 19 19 .500 3.0 13-7 6-12 L1 Lakewood 19 19 .500 3.0 11-7 8-12 W1 Hagerstown 16 22 .421 6.0 9-9 7-13 W1 Hickory 15 22 .405 6.5 6-9 9-13 W1

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200605182 Power?s Brantley glad to be back By Tommy R. Atkinson Charleston Gazette Staff writer The West Virginia Power?s Michael Brantley could still smile even though his team just suffered a 6-3 setback Wednesday night against the Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets. The 19-year-old left fielder is just glad to be back in a uniform swinging a bat and making plays in the outfield without feeling any nagging pain from his surgically repaired right shoulder. Brantley, a seventh-round selection in last June?s amateur draft out of Fort Pierce (Fla.) Central High School, had spent the past 1 1/2 weeks on the disabled list because of reoccurring inflammation in his shoulder. Upon returning for the Augusta series this week, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Brantley posted back-to-back games with multiple hits for the first time this season. He went 2-for-4 and drove in run in Monday?s 6-1 victory then followed that with another 2-for-4 performance in Tuesday?s 4-3 10-inning win. In Wednesday?s South Atlantic League loss in front of a paid crowd of 2,731 at Appalachian Power Park, Brantley went hitless in three at-bats with a walk but was still pleased. ?The swing feels a lot better now that it?s pain free,?? said Brantley, who hits ninth in the batting order. ?I?ve been doing extra hitting to get my swing back. Most of it?s being pain free. Coming off shoulder surgery it really bothered me. I was changing stuff I shouldn?t have been changing just so I could be pain free. [i?m taking] full hacks [ now and] letting it go, letting it fly.?? Brantley split time last year between Arizona of the Arizona Summer League and Helena (Mont.) of the Pioneer League, both short-season rookie leagues. He compiled a .348 batting average in 198 at-bats with 22 RBIs and 15 stolen bases between the two stops. Entering Tuesday?s play, Brantley was hitting .224 in 67 at-bats with three RBIs and 11 strikeouts. Power manager Mike Guerrero said he sees special potential in Brantley. ?I think as the season goes along he?s going to be a pretty exciting player,?? said Guerrero. ?He?s got a lot of talent [and a lot of] tools. It?s just a matter of time for him to get everything down. When you?re that young it?s going to take time to do certain adjustments and learn to process. I think he?s really working at the plate extra every day.?? West Virginia used five pitchers Wednesday after starter David Welch had to leave after two scoreless innings. The 6-4, 200-pound left-hander strained his hip or groin when he fielded a ball from the third batter of the first inning. Power pitching coach John Curtis said Welch tried to stick it out, but was in too much pain. Curtis said the team would wait until today to see how Welch feels before making a decision about the disabled list. Welch was putting together a pretty good outing, allowing just two singles. The next four hurlers allowed all six runs on 10 hits. After the GreenJackets (21-15) knotted the game at 2-all on a fielding error, they broke the game open with a three-run sixth. The first four Augusta batters reached with three of them crossing the plate for a 5-2 edge. The Power (19-18) closed the deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth on a passed ball, but couldn?t come up with a clutch hit when it needed it. In the eighth, West Virginia had runners at first and second with two outs and didn?t score then Ned Yost led off the ninth with a single, but was stranded. In the fifth, the Power had runners at first and third with two outs and couldn?t get anybody home. ?I thought we were a couple of hits from turning the game around,?? said Guerrero. ?We just need to learn from what we did wrong and make some adjustments.?? POWER POINTS: West Virginia?s Ryan Crew went 3-for-4 with his last three at-bats resulting in singles. ... Power pitchers couldn?t get August?s Ben Copeland out. The leadoff hitter went 4-for-4 and the only time he didn?t get a hit was when he walked in his second plate appearance. ... West Virginia will play host to Augusta in the finale of the four-game series Thursday night. ... Thursday's game is Buck Night with admission, hot dogs and fountain and draft drinks only a $1 each. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis Mike Bell of the West Virginia Power makes the tag on Augusta?s Ben Copeland on a stolen-base attempt. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power1.jpg

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_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_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: Big league matinee, everyone pick a game to check out tonight! All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Justin Thompson at home vs. Tacoma (Mariners), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Carlos Villanueva at Chattanooga (Reds), 6:00 PM pre-game, 6:15 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Yo Gallardo at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Ronny Malave at home vs. Augusta (Giants), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.