Jim Goulart

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Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds better in close games One-run victory second in a row By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer After losing six of their first 10 games decided by two runs or less, the Nashville Sounds have turned their close-game fortunes around of late. Back-to-back sixth-inning doubles by Mike Rivera and Vinny Rottino, and an RBI double by Nelson Cruz in the eighth, spelled the difference for the Sounds in a 3-2 win over visiting Iowa. Nashville has won consecutive one-run decisions. The Sounds defeated Iowa 4-3 on a Corey Hart game-winning home run Wednesday afternoon. "I think a little has to do with where you're playing," Manager Frank Kremblas said of his Nashville squad, which has won all four of its one- or two-run outcomes at Greer Stadium but is 2-6 in such road results. "Early in the year, we didn't pitch very well at the end of games," he said. "Pitching in tight games, you're not always going to get it done. You want to, you hope to, but you don't always." The Sounds pitchers got it done all night last night, starting with starter Dana Eveland. The left-hander allowed just two hits over seven innings while striking out seven, and left the game with a 2-1 lead. Behind him, Jason Kershner allowed a ninth-inning run to snap his string of 12 1/3 scoreless innings, but Mike Adams stopped any further damage to claim his second save of the year. "This is the best start I've had," said Eveland, who has won all three of his decisions. "I'm doing what I can to keep getting better, keep pounding the strike zone. "Our bullpen came together and got it done. It's always a bonus to take home the 'W'. If I give up eight runs and get the win, I'm not going to care too much." Nashville, which has the Pacific Coast League's best record at 19-8, has won its last five series after losing its season-opening series at Omaha and splitting with Iowa in Des Moines. "That gets you in the playoffs, if you do that," Kremblas said. Rivera, who singled in the second inning, extended his hitting streak to a PCL-high 16 games. Hart and Chris Barnwell kept streaks alive as well, at nine and seven games, respectively. What they said: "Frank (Kremblas) knows how to coach a winning team. He may not coach the way a lot of guys do, but it seems like at the end, we're on top." ? Eveland. ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Fernandez headed to Milwaukee MAURICE PATTON, the Tennessean Jared Fernandez, who took the loss in his only Sounds start on Monday, was recalled Thursday by the Milwaukee Brewers to fill the roster spot vacated when Tomo Ohka was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. Fernandez made Milwaukee's opening-day roster after coming into spring training as a non-roster invitee, then going 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA in nine spring games with two starts. In two relief appearances with the Brewers in April, Fernandez had a 13.50 ERA before joining the Sounds on April 19. With Nashville, he threw 10 + relief innings without allowing an earned run, picking up a win and two saves. Against Iowa earlier this week, Fernandez allowed four runs ? three earned ? on eight hits over six innings in a 7-4 Sounds defeat. Guitar trio: Prior to Thursday's game, Corey Hart, Enrique Cruz and Nelson Cruz were each presented Copley guitars for home runs off the guitar-shaped scoreboard beyond the left-field wall. Hart earned his guitar with his game-winning solo shot Wednesday, while Enrique Cruz accomplished the feat on April 21 against Omaha. Nelson Cruz homered off the scoreboard during Game 1 of the Pacific Coast League championship series against Tacoma. Since the promotion's inception in 2004, Copley has awarded 11 guitars. Former Sounds catcher Keith McDonald earned the first one during the second half of the 2004 season. Eight more were awarded last year. Return to action: Dave Krynzel made his first defensive appearance Thursday night since running into the center-field wall at Greer Stadium on April 17. Krynzel entered the game as part of a ninth-inning double-switch. Krynzel had played in only two games since the collision, which resulted in a slight separation of his right shoulder. The injury is unrelated to the broken collarbone he sustained over the offseason, which resulted in surgery. Krynzel pinch-ran on April 22, then struck out in a pinch-hitting role on April 27. "He's hitting more each day; he's feeling better," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "He's available for pinch-hitting duties. "This is completely different (from the collarbone injury). This is in the joint." All-star skippers named: Omaha Manager Mike Jirschele has been named manager of the Pacific Coast League squad for the 19th annual Triple-A All-Star Game, which will be held July 12 at Toledo's Fifth Third Field. Jirschele is in the fourth year of his second stint as manager of the Royals, having previously served in that role from 1995-97. He's had three other managerial stops in the Kansas City organization and has also served as the organization's roving infield instructor and coordinator of instruction. Toledo's Larry Parrish will manage the International League all-stars.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=49642 Sounds run past Cubs By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent Frank Kremblas manages the Nashville Sounds with a pedal-to-the-metal approach, chocked full of suicide squeeze plays, hit-and-runs and plenty of stolen bases. So far this season, the Sounds have a Pacific Coast League-best 52 steals. Against the Iowa Cubs on Thursday, however, Kremblas? Sounds had four would-be runs tagged out between third base and home plate. Yet, Nashville won anyway. The first-place Sounds downed the Cubs 3-2 for their third-straight win. ?The typical thing is to say, ?Yeah we got caught [too many times on the base paths],?? Kremblas said. ?But I don?t take it that way. You?re going to get caught.? The Sounds (19-8) got clutch hitting from some of the usual suspects. Corey Hart and Mike Rivera each notched two hits and scored a run apiece. Rivera?s hit streak is at a PCL-best 16 games. Brad Nelson, Vinny Rottino and Nelson Cruz all had RBI doubles for the Sounds, who could have scored more off Cubs starter Jae-Kuk Ryu had it not been for all the base runners gunned down between third and home. ?If you?re going to be aggressive, sometimes you?re going to get caught,? Kremblas said. ?It?s just part of the game.? Sounds starter Dana Eveland turned in another outstanding performance. Eveland went seven innings and only allowed two hits and one earned run. Eveland (3-0) entered the game having surrendered only three walks, although he walked three more against the Cubs. ?[Eveland] pitched well again,? Kremblas said. ?His command has been good and his command wasn?t bad tonight.? In the top of the ninth with the Sounds up two, the Cubs threatened. Iowa?s first two batters registered hits to trim the lead to one, but closer Mike Adams didn?t allow any more damage. Adams had struggled in his previous two outings, before picking up his second save of the season on Thursday. ?As a late relief guy, that?s the situation you always want to be in and it?s always good whenever you can come out successfully,? Adams said. ?[it] was a real good night for me especially after last outing. You?ve got to keep those bad outings out of your mind. They?re going to happen, you?ve just got to limit them to very few.? Fernandez promoted: Sounds reliever Jared Fernandez was promoted to Milwaukee prior to the game, just two weeks after joining the Sounds. Fernandez?s roster spot was not immediately filled and Kremblas said he didn?t know when that would happen. No piece of the pie: Iowa outfielder Felix Pie ? widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball ? had a forgettable first trip through Music City. Pie went 0-for-13 over the course of the four-game series. Barnwell keeps rolling: Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell extended his on-base streak to 20 games.

Charleston Gazette: Right-handed pitcher Robbie Wooley is also headed to the DL with an elbow injury, Power pitching coach John Curtis said. In four starts, Wooley was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He walked 10 and struck out seven in 18 innings.

Power flips the switch Six home runs blasted ? in the first inning By Nick Scala Charleston Gazette Staff writer If hitting is contagious, this was The Plague. Buck Night at Appalachian Power Park? This was more like Bang for Your Buck Night. In a shocking and inspiring long-ball display, the West Virginia Power slugged a South Atlantic League-record seven home runs ? including six in a 12-run first inning ? in a 17-2 win over the Lexington Legends. And they barely made it through half the game. The contest (if you can call it that) was cut short due to rain in the bottom of the fifth ? and even then, the Power had the bases loaded with two outs. ?I?ve been around this game for 43 years, and I?ve never ever seen anything like that,? said Power hitting coach Mike Lum, who began his 15-year major-league career in 1967. ?There?s no explanation for something like this. Everybody?s biorhythms must have been up.? Third baseman Mat Gamel led the charge, clubbing two homers in the bottom of the first to give him four on the season. In between, Ryan Crew, Ned Yost, Nate Yoho and Angel Salome joined the first-inning long-ball celebration, witnessed by a Buck Night crowd of 3,444. No Sally League records were available for most home runs in an inning, but it?s safe to assume that the six blasts set a league record. That?s because the Sally League record for home runs in a game is six, set by many teams, most recently Lexington in 2002. In the fifth and what turned out to be the final inning, Power shortstop Michael Bell also went deep to break that record. The six-homer inning, which took 40 minutes to complete and included 12 hits in 15 at bats, might also be a record for organized baseball. The major league record for home runs in an inning is five, most recently by the Milwaukee Brewers ? the Power?s parent club ? against the Reds earlier this season. ?They say hitting?s contagious, but that was unheard of,? said Gamel, who also had a single and four RBIs in four at bats and extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games. ?Everybody joined in the fun.? Indeed, every Power starter reached base and scored before an out was recorded in that first inning. By the fifth inning, every West Virginia batter had driven in a run. The Power had 23 hits in just 36 at bats. If the rain hadn?t come to abbreviate the game, the South Atlantic League record of 27 hits was in serious jeopardy. In the incredible first inning, the first 10 Power hitters reached base. ?You go up there thinking ?I?m not going to be the guy to make an out,??? said leadoff hitter Darren Ford, who started the outbreak with a triple to left-center and finished 4-for-4 and scored three times. Gamel, Bell, Yost and Brad Willcutt added three hits apiece. Ford was at the plate for a fifth at bat in the bottom of the fifth when, with the bases loaded and two out, the rain forced the umpires to stop play. ?There was a game in rookie ball last year where we put up 25, hit after hit,? Ford said. ?But it was nothing like this, all in one inning, all those home runs.? Lexington left-hander Brian Bogusevic (0-2) was the victim of the barrage. A first-round Houston Astros draft pick in 2005, Bogusevic failed to retire any of the eight batters he faced. He yielded Gamel?s three-run homer, Crew?s two-run shot and Yost?s solo blast. Brandon Stricklen relieved and did better, but not by much. Yoho greeted him with the fifth homer of the inning, Ford followed with his second hit and, after Lorenzo Cain was retired on a screaming liner to left, Salome and Gamel hit back-to-back jacks to cap the 12-run onslaught. ?It just happens. Hitting is contagious,? echoed Power manager Mike Guerrero, whose team evened its record at 13-13. ?All our hard work paid off in one inning. We had a good time.? Ford had an RBI single in the fourth inning to make it a 13-2 Power lead. Lexington?s Chris Blazek cooled off the Power with two scoreless innings, but he and Garret Murdy were touched for seven hits ? including Bell?s homer ? and four runs in the fifth before the rain got heavy. After a 26-minute delay, the umpires called it a night. Since the losing team batted in five innings, it was an official game. Derek Miller (2-1) was the beneficiary of the contagiously hot bats, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts. One of the hits was a solo homer in the second by Lexington?s Mitch Einertson. Although he went just five innings, Miller was credited with the Power?s first complete game of the season. The rare six-game series, now tied at two wins apiece, continues at 7:05 (6:05 Central) tonight. Will Inman (2-0, 0.95 ERA) will start for the Power, while Lexington will counter with Levi Romero (4-0, 3.16), who shares the league lead in wins. Six in the city You had to figure there was a very good reason why the West Virginia Power and the Lexington Legends are playing a rare six-game series this week at Appalachian Power Park. As it turns out, there is. The original 2006 South Atlantic League schedule, put together by Charleston mayoral assistant (and APP ?Toast Man?) Rod Blackstone, called for Lexington to be home this weekend. According to Blackstone, Lexington didn?t want to be home this weekend because the series would run up against the Kentucky Derby, and the sporting interest in the Bluegrass State would be diverted toward the horse race in Louisville. To accommodate Lexington?s request, the league approved schedule changes resulting in the unusual six-game set here. Meanwhile, the Power and Legends have six days to, um, get better acquainted. "You never get tired of playing the game," said Power pitching coach John Curtis, who couldn't remember ever playing or coaching in a scheduled six-game series. "The only thing you worry about is if something bad happens, like guys getting hit [by pitches], that kind of thing. Familiarity can breed a little bit of contempt. "But it's been fairly played so far, and the good thing about it is we're home for the six games." Curtis said the hitters have an advantage over the pitchers when teams become overly familiar. "I always hated seeing the same team two starts in a row," said Curtis, who pitched 15 years in the major leagues. "The hitters get to know the pitchers over a six-game series. Hitters will tell you, the more times they see a staff, the better for them. They're going to see relievers two or three times this series. Familarity's going to benefit them, it's up to the pitchers to do something a little different each time." Rivals or not? Thursday's game was the ninth of 20 scheduled meetings this season between the Power and Legends. Last year, they played an astounding 32 times. They're in the same division of the Sally League. Geographically, there's no team in the league closer to the Power than Lexington. Is there a rivalry brewing? "Whether or not we're rivals, I really don't know," Curtis said. "We had a little thing going with them last year, running into catchers and things like that, but I think it's the sheer number of times we've played them. Things are going to happen when you play a team that much. "But I don't have a sense that there's a big rivalry here, that there's bad feelings, or that we're playing for bragging rights. It's just that we're neighbors in this league, we're close, and we happen to play each other a lot." Curtis said the fans may sense the rivalry more than the players, since the players rarely remain at this level of the minor leagues for more than one season. "Nothing carries over," Curtis said. "You've got a new skipper on the other side, we've got a new skipper here, players are different every year. You've got something, but nothing that would foment a good, hard-fought rivalry." ***Outfielder Steve Chapman was added to the Power roster, replacing outfielder Michael Brantley, who was placed on the disabled list after experiencing soreness in his right shoulder. Chapman, a sixth-round pick in the 2004 draft, hit .269 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 54 games in 2005 with Helena, the Milwaukee Brewers? rookie-league team. This season, Chapman has been with the Brewers? extended spring training. Right-handed pitcher Robbie Wooley is also headed to the DL with an elbow injury, Curtis said. In four starts, Wooley was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He walked 10 and struck out seven in 18 innings.

Final: West Tenn (Cubs) 9, Huntsville 1 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=810 Shaver and 'Pen Shut Down Stars Chris Shaver worked six solid innings and Micah Hoffpauir chipped in with three hits, two runs scored and a run driven in to power West Tenn past Huntsville 9-1 Thursday night at Pringles Park in the third game of a five-game set. The Diamond Jaxx have won the last two games to improve to 16-12 and move into second place in the Southern League North Division, while the Stars dropped into third place at 15-13 and four games behind front-running Chattanooga. Shaver set down the first seven hitters he faced before Lou Palmisano walked, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Corey Thurman and scored the game?s first run on a single by Callix Crabbe, who has knocked in a run in 11 of his 24 starts. Thurman took a one-hit shutout into the fifth inning before Hoffpauir led off with a double and advanced to third base on a one-out ground ball by Gary Cates. The Stars intentionally walked Carlos Rojas but Shaver spoiled the strategy by grounding a single into left field to score Hoffpauir to tie the game. Chris Walker walked to load the bases and Eric Patterson then lofted a fly ball to shallow left field that hugged the foul line. Huntsville third baseman Adam Heether tried to make a diving, over the shoulder catch and just missed, allowing the ball to land and score Rojas and Shaver to make it 3-1 in favor of the home side. Ozzie Chavez alertly picked up the ball and threw out Walker trying to score for the final out of the frame. Stars? skipper Don Money argued vociferously that the ball was foul and was thrown out of the game. Nic Jackson, Luis Montanez and Hoffpauir strung together consecutive singles to open the sixth inning to make it 4-1 and chase Thurman from the game. Jose Reyes dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Montanez and Hoffpauir and Cates followed with a bunt single that plated Montanez to make it 5-1. Thurman was charged with all five runs over five-plus innings of work after allowing only three earned runs in 27.2 innings pitched in his first five starts. West Tenn tacked on four runs in the eighth inning against Gerrit Simpson, who had yielded only three earned runs in 17 innings before tonight?s game. Cates and Walker had run-scoring singles and Patterson chased in another run with a fielder?s choice grounder. Shaver allowed a run on three hits and earned his second win in four starts with the Jaxx. The southpaw walked one and fanned eight, the most he has struck out at the double-A level. Rocky Cherry and Carmen Pigniatello blanked the Stars over the final three innings and all three held Steve Moss hitless, as he lost a 14-game hitting streak. The Stars have scored only 12 runs in the six games started by Thurman. The series continues Friday night when the Stars send right-hander Matt Yeatman to the mound for his second start of the year against West Tenn right-hander Juan Mateo. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: The Southern League is a brutal league on hitters, but some of these batting averages are going to be tough to raise as at-bat sample sizes begin to grow; reliever Steve Bray remains a bright spot, no walks in 20 1/3 IP... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

Final: Nashville 3, Iowa (Cubs) 2 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Dana Eveland photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1935 Sounds Take Third Straight From I-Cubs, 3-2 NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds won their third straight game on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium, recording a 3-2 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs in the finale of a four-game series in front of 5,973 fans. With the win, Nashville (19-8) maintains the best record in the PCL and records its fifth consecutive winning series. The red-hot Sounds have won 12 of 14 and 18 of their last 22 contests. Nashville starter Dana Eveland (3-0) turned in another stellar outing to pull into a tie for the team wins lead. The southpaw allowed one run on three hits while fanning seven batters over seven innings, tossing a season-high 101 pitches. His ERA sits at an impressive 0.87 through five starts. The Sounds were able to pull out the victory despite having four runners thrown out either at the plate or in rundowns between third and home over the course of the evening. The Cubs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Felix Pie scored on a Buck Coats groundout. Mike Rivera extended the PCL?s longest hitting streak of the year to 16 games when he led off the Nashville second with a single to center. After Vinny Rottino rolled into a fielder?s choice that erased Rivera, Brad Nelson followed with an RBI double to left-center that tied the contest at 1-1. Chris Barnwell (2-for-3) ripped a single to right to extend his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. Nelson was thrown out at home on the play by Iowa rightfielder Buck Coats on the play. The Sounds had a second runner thrown out at the plate in the third when Jermaine Clark made the final out of the inning at the dish while trying to score from second on a Rivera fielder?s choice groundout. Nashville took its first lead of the evening at 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Rivera and Rottino opened the frame with back-to-back doubles off Cubs starter Jae-Kuk Ryu. Rivera?s knock gave him his team-leading 10th multiple-hit game of the year. Nelson Cruz plated an insurance run for the Sounds in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double to deep center, his team-leading eighth two-bagger of the year. AUDIO: Nelson Cruz RBI Double -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%205-4.wma With four doubles on the night, the Sounds upped their league-leading total to 63 through 27 games. Iowa pulled within a run at 3-2 in the top of the ninth when Coats scored on a Jeff Deardorff groundout off Mike Adams. The run, charged to Sounds reliever Jason Kershner, snapped the southpaw?s scoreless innings streak at 12 1/3 frames. Sounds outfielder Corey Hart extended his season-best hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 effort. Adams allowed his inherited runner to score in the ninth but fanned the final two batters of the contest to finish with a scoreless inning and earn his second save of the year. Ryu (1-3) took the loss for the visitors after surrendering two runs on nine hits over six frames of work. The Sounds continue their homestand on Friday evening by welcoming the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA-Nationals) to town for the 7 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Right-hander Dennis Sarfate (1-0, 4.19) will make the start for Nashville and face Zephyrs right-hander Andrew Good (0-2, 5.85). New Orleans enters the contest with losses in 11 of its last 12 contests. The Sounds? first fireworks show of the 2006 season will follow the contest. Nashville Box Score: Cubs stud prospect Felix Pie was completely shut down in this series; my goodness, the Brewers seem to have handled Dana Eveland's career path brilliantly thus far; we've already run out of adjectives to describe the work of Rivera, Barnwell, Hart and Cruz -- and it's only May 4th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Enrique Cruz: Playing time hard to come by in 2006... www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%205-4.wma

Final: Jupiter (Marlins) 7, Brevard County 3 Brevard County Box Score: Only four hits for the slumping 'Tees... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Double steal for Brevard in the 4th as Steve Sollman scores... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

The Power site has put together audio clips of Andy "Bull" Barch's best home run calls in the past -- not to put the pressure on the Power staff, but we've asked that they try to splice together all of Andy's "Jack-Jackety-Jack" calls from Thursday night for us to enjoy. Will keep you posted...

West Virginia Press Release: CHARLESTON, WV (May 4, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, outfielder Steve Chapman was added to the West Virginia Power roster from extended spring training to take the place of outfielder Michael Brantley who has been placed on the disabled list. Brantley was placed on the disabled list after experiencing soreness in his right shoulder. Brantley is hitting .186 on the season with a run scored and an RBI through 19 games. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2005 draft. Chapman, a sixth round pick in the 2004 draft out of Marianna High School in Florida, will take the place of Brantley. Chapman spent the 2004 season with the Arizona Brewers and hit .229 with four home runs over 49 games. Last year he played with the Helena Brewers and hit .269 with six home runs and 25 RBI over 54 games.

Final: West Virginia 17, Lexington (Astros) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power set single game Sally League home run record Just over 3,400 fans witnessed an offensive eruption from the West Virginia Power at Appalachian Power Park on Thursday night. The Power set a South Atlantic League record, belting seven home runs, six in the first inning, and they beat the Lexington Legends in a rain shortened contest by the final score of 17-2. While the Power did most of the scoring, the Legends drew first blood in the top of the first inning on Eric King?s RBI double. In the bottom of the first, the Power offense answered in a big way. West Virginia sent 15 batters to the plate, hit six home runs and scored 12 runs on 12 hits to take a 12-1 lead. Darren Ford began the inning with a triple, and scored on Lorenzo Cain?s RBI single. Moments later, Mat Gamel hit the first of his two home runs in the inning, a three-run blast to give the Power a 4-1 advantage. After a Mike Bell double, Ryan Crew hit a two-run blast, his first of the year, to put the Power up 6-1. Ned Yost followed Crew with his third home run of the season. Brad Willcutt singled and then scored when Nate Yoho hit a two-run homer, his second of the year. Angel Salome hit the fifth home run of the inning, a two-run blast, to give the Power an 11-1 advantage, and Gamel followed Salome with his second home run of the inning to complete the 12-run frame. Lexington plated their final run of the game in the top of the second inning when Mitch Einertson blasted a solo home run making it a 12-2 game. The Power answered back with Darren Ford?s RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The Power broke the record in the bottom of the fifth inning on Mike Bell?s three-run blast. Later in the inning Brad Willcutt singled in Ryan Crew before the rain came and ended the contest. The first 10 batters reached base for the Power in the bottom of the first inning, and eight of the nine batters in the starting lineup had multi-hit games. The previous single game home run record (6) was held by several teams, and was last accomplished by the Lexington Legends on April 8, 2002. Derek Miller (2-1) allowed two runs through five innings and earned the victory. Brian Bogusevic (0-2) never recorded an out and only faced eight batters in the first inning, earning the loss. The Power are 13-13 after the win and the Legends fell to 15-12 with the loss. The win marks the second rain shortened victory of the season for the Power. Attendance for the game was 3,444. The Power continue the six game series against the Legends on Friday night. Lexington will start right hander Levi Romero (4-0, 3.16) and West Virginia will counter with right hander Will Inman (2-0, 0.95). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Chuckie hacks! -- 23 Power hits in 4 2/3 innings, not a single walk drawn; a night to pad the numbers, for sure; Derek Miller will always remember his first pro "complete game"... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Researchers are poring over the records now, but the six home runs hit in the first inning by the Power tonight might be all-time modern pro baseball record for home runs in an inning, according to initial reports. Even if it isn't, amazing display -- get ready for the "Power" puns on Friday by the national media.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006050424/ Power pitcher finds his zone Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter One mistake cost West Virginia Power ace Kevin Roberts a victory, but even that miscue shouldn't detract from a performance that all agree was the best of his six starts this season. Roberts carried a no-hitter and a shutout into the sixth inning Wednesday, but the Lexington Legends ended both with two hits and two runs in the frame. Those were the only hits and runs Roberts allowed during the morning game, but they were enough for the Legends to collect a 3-1 win over the Power in front of a Grand Slam School Day crowd of 4,131 fans at Appalachian Power Park. Lexington (15-11) remains in a two-way tie for first place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division with Lake County (15-11). The Power (12-13) is 2 1/2 games behind the co-leaders. "I tried to keep them off balance with a good mix of pitches," said Roberts, whose repertoire features a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a curveball, a palmball and a changeup. Roberts breezed through the first five innings, throwing 13 pitches in the first, 10 in the second, 11 in the third, 11 in the fourth and nine in the fifth. His most impressive inning was the second as he struck out the side with only one pitch called a ball. "I was feeling pretty good at the time," said the 21-year-old Roberts, a 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander that the Milwaukee Brewers selected in the fifth round of last year's draft. "The ball I did throw was an intentional ball to set up the next pitch. I hit my spot 10 times in a row and it worked out pretty good." Two close calls hurt him in the top of the sixth, when the Legends snapped a scoreless tie. Roberts surrendered a one-out single to Tommy Manzella, then issued a two-out walk to Josh Flores. He thought he struck out both batters on 2-2 counts, but the umpire disagreed and both hitters capitalized on the extra opportunities at the plate. "You have to work around it," said Roberts, noting there are as many instances where umpires hurt pitchers by calling a strike a ball as there are instances where umpires help pitchers by calling a ball a strike. "It was an unfortunate situation ... but you have to battle through it." Eric King followed Flores with a two-run triple that proved to be the difference maker. "Kevin Roberts threw the ball outstanding," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said. "He had one mistake and it really, really cost him." Guerrero thought Roberts should have pitched more aggressively against Manzella (a .206 hitter) and Flores (a .224 hitter). That way, he might have avoided King (a .333 hitter). "That was his only mistake in the entire outing," Guerrero said. Roberts, a former two-way star at the University of Houston who never pitched before college, finished with six strikeouts and three walks in six innings. It marked his longest performance this season and represents only the third time a Power starter has pitched six innings or more this year. Roberts, ranked the Brewers' 29th-best minor league prospect by Baseball America, owns a 2-3 record and a 4.30 earned run average. He has allowed 23 hits and 14 runs (all earned) in 29 1/3 innings. Roberts also has recorded a team-high 31 strikeouts compared to a league-leading 18 walks. "He has pitched well (this season), but this (performance) stands out," said Power pitching coach John Curtis, who is concerned about Roberts' walks and wants him to lower the number of free passes he issues to batters. "Unfortunately, he came out on the short side of the butcher." POWER PLUGS: Mat Gamel extended his hitting streak to eight games -- the longest this season for any Power hitter -- with a sixth-inning single. ... The Power is 3-5 against the Legends and 5-7 at Appalachian Power Park this season. ... Reid Nichols, the Brewers' director of player development and assistant to the general manager, is in Charleston this week to scout the Power. "I think you will see this team jell and they will have a much better second half," Nichols said. "These guys had a lot of success together in Helena (Mont.) last season." Charleston Gazette Photo: Bob Wojcieszak West Virginia Power pitcher Kevin Roberts, who never pitched before playing at the University of Houston, had six strikeouts and three walks in the Power?s game Wednesday against Lexington. http://www.dailymail.com/images/0504%20Kevin%20Roberts.jpg

Link for Tim Dillard photo while active, text follows: www.jacksonsun.com/apps/p...40313/1006 Jaxx 8, Huntsville 4: Sprowl is making the most of 3rd stint as Cubs farmhand By JOSHUA PARROTT jparrott@jacksonsun.com Less than a month into his third stint in the Chicago Cubs' organization, Jon-Mark Sprowl admits he is just trying to fit in with the Diamond Jaxx. "I'm not trying to take anybody's job," Sprowl said. But Sprowl might just do that if he keeps playing like he did on Wednesday afternoon. Making only his second start of the season, Sprowl went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Diamond Jaxx past Huntsville, 8-4, before a season-best crowd of 4,290 at Pringles Park. Sprowl - who was signed by the Cubs before spring training, released on April 4 and resigned on April 22 - entered the game with only one hit in six at-bats this season. His RBI singles in the second and third innings and RBI double in the fourth keyed West Tenn's offensive outburst. "Obviously getting the opportunity to come back (to this organization) is big for me," said Sprowl, who hit .228 in 63 games last season for the Tampa Yankees, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. "I was able to drive in some runs today." Sprowl wasn't alone. Jose Reyes and Nic Jackson added three hits apiece for the Jaxx (15-12), who moved into a second-place tie with Huntsville (15-12) in the Southern League's Northern Division. Reyes also scored three runs and added an RBI. With three hits, Jackson continued his recent hot streak at the plate. He now has a 20-game hitting streak, which started with a 13-game streak at High-A Daytona earlier this season. Between third baseman Scott Moore, pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir, Reyes and Sprowl, West Tenn's Nos. 5-7 hitters went a combined 6-for-11 with five RBIs and six runs scored. Huntsville manager Don Money said the Jaxx took advantage of a "very uninspired day" by Stars right-hander Tim Dillard. Selected as the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, Dillard (2-2) was handed the loss after getting ripped for five runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings of work. "His velocity was down, and you can't do that," Money said. "You've got to go after hitters with your best stuff." Jaxx starter Carlos Marmol didn't have his best stuff on Wednesday. He gave up three runs and three walks in only four innings before being pulled for reliever Paul Schappert. Schappert (1-0) struck out four in three perfect innings to grab the win as the Jaxx avenged a heart-breaking 4-3 loss to the Stars on Tuesday night. Game 3 of the five-game series is at 7:05 p.m. today. Lefty Chris Shaver (1-1, 2.25 ERA) will start for the Jaxx, while righty Corey Thurman (1-2, 0.98 ERA) will take the mound for the Stars. The Jaxx started strong on Wednesday, scoring their eight runs in the second, third and fourth innings, respectively. Sprowl drove in the game's first run in the second inning when he smashed a single into right field to score Moore from third. Reyes scored on a Gary Cates groundout later the same inning, and Chris Walker added an RBI single up the middle to give the Jaxx a 3-0 lead. In the top of the third, the Stars answered. After Callix Crabbe opened the inning with a double, Dillard laid down a bunt and reached base when Sprowl dropped the throw from Marmol. Stars shortstop Ozzie Chavez followed by knocking in Crabbe with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Another run scored when Steve Moss grounded into a double play. Greg Sain added an RBI single to tie the game at 3. "I give our guys credit," Money said. "We battled back." But so did the Jaxx in the third inning. Reyes stroked an RBI double and Sprowl followed with an RBI single to put West Tenn up 5-3. The Jaxx put the game out of reach with three more runs in the fourth as Moore had a sacrifice fly, Luis Montanez scored on a passed ball and Sprowl pounded an RBI double to right field. After a 15-minute rain delay forced both teams into their respective dugouts before the start of the ninth inning, the skies cleared long enough for Jaxx reliever Federico Baez to pitch a perfect inning to close out the win. Despite his breakout performance, Sprowl doesn't necessarily expect his role as a utility player to change. He still plans on bringing the same blue-collar mentality to the clubhouse everyday. "All you can do is go out and get it done if your name's on the (lineup) card," said Sprowl, who can play catcher, first base, third base and in the outfield. "I'm taking my role and just trying to help this team win." And that's an approach Jaxx manager Pat Listach appreciates. "The great thing about Jon-Mark is that he comes to the ballpark ready to play whether he starts or not," Listach said. "I wish some of our other guys were more like that. "We're lucky to have him."

Standings through Wednesday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 18 8 .692 - 9-2 9-6 W2[/b] Omaha 14 11 .560 3.5 8-6 6-5 W1 Iowa 9 15 .375 8.0 6-7 3-8 L2 Memphis 9 15 .375 8.0 7-4 2-11 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 18 9 .667 - 9-3 9-6 W4 [b]Huntsville 15 12 .556 3.0 8-7 7-5 L1[/b] West Tenn 15 12 .556 3.0 6-6 9-6 W1 Tennessee 12 15 .444 6.0 6-4 6-11 L3 Carolina 11 16 .407 7.0 6-6 5-10 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 16 9 .640 - 7-5 9-4 L2 St. Lucie 16 9 .640 - 7-6 9-3 W3 [b]Brevard County 15 11 .577 1.5 5-5 10-6 L3[/b] Daytona 11 14 .440 5.0 7-7 4-7 W2 Vero Beach 9 16 .360 7.0 7-6 2-10 L1 Jupiter 9 17 .346 7.5 4-10 5-7 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 15 11 .577 - 6-6 9-5 L1 Lexington 15 11 .577 - 10-5 5-6 W1 Delmarva 13 10 .565 0.5 5-5 8-5 W2 Greensboro 13 13 .500 2.0 9-6 4-7 L1 [b]West Virginia 12 13 .480 2.5 5-7 7-6 L1[/b] Hagerstown 11 13 .458 3.0 7-6 4-7 W1 Hickory 11 14 .440 3.5 4-6 7-8 W1 Lakewood 9 14 .391 4.5 7-5 2-9 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 Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

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_wtdaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Thursday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Dana Eveland at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime -- well, Dana is listed, but that sure doesn't seem likely, we'll probably have to adjust later today... Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Nashville Game Day Feature from MILB.com: Please note that GameDay links will not become active until approximately 1-2 hours before game time www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman at West Tenn (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Jupiter (Marlins), 6:00 PM -- probably will be LHP Steve Hammond... Audio link (opponent's): www.jupiterhammerheads.com/ West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Lexington (Astros) 5:55 AM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006050362 Legends spoil no-hit bid, trip Power 3-1 By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer To break up the monotony of their six-day stay in the Kanawha Valley, the Lexington Legends make regular visits to Charleston Town Center Mall. The bus loads up at the team?s South Charleston motel early in the afternoon and deposits the players in downtown Charleston, where they find a place for lunch and pass the time before leaving for Appalachian Power Park. They played a morning game Wednesday as part of Grand Slam Kids Day and, against Power right-hander Kevin Roberts, were making outs with monotonous regularity. Through five innings, they didn?t have a hit, but they spiced things up in the sixth with a single, a walk and Eric King?s triple to dead center that landed on the warning track and brought home two runs. It was enough to give Lexington a 3-1 victory over the Power on a day when thousands of school kids livened up the place with occasional chants of ?Let?s go, Power?? and a constant buzz familiar to elementary-school teachers everywhere. Total attendance was 4,131. The Legends, who visited APP for three games in mid-April, are in the midst of a six-game, six-day series in Charleston, which may be unprecedented in local history. The series continues through Sunday, giving the visitors several more bus rides downtown. ?We?re pretty familiar with the mall,?? said King, a California native. Roberts, a 21-year-old native of Pearland, Texas, faced the minimum number of hitters through five innings. He allowed two baserunners on walks but both were erased ? one on a double play and the other on a caught stealing. He also had six strikeouts. ?I located my fastball pretty decent,?? said Roberts, ?and that set up my offspeed, which was working pretty well today.?? But with one out in the sixth, Lexington?s Tommy Manzella broke up the no-hit bid with a sharp single to left and, one out later, Josh Flores walked. King then jumped on a 1-1 curveball. ?It was right in the strike zone,?? said King. ?It was a good pitch for a hitter. I was fortunate to make good contact.?? Roberts knew he was perhaps one good pitch away from escaping trouble. ?It?s frustrating when you have two outs, and you know it?s your last inning and all you have to do is make one or two pitches and you?re out of it,?? he said. ?They got one big hit.?? Meanwhile, Lexington right-hander Tip Fairchild allowed just six hits and a run in seven innings for the victory and blanked the Power through six innings. By keeping the ball low in the strike zone, he accumulated 14 ground-ball outs. ?Defense is key,?? said Fairchild. ?They do all the dirty work. Basically, I just throw the ball over the plate and let the defense do the work.?? The Legends added a run in the seventh on Mark Ori?s home run off Wilfrido Laureano, and the Power scored its only run in the bottom of the inning on Mike Bell?s double and Ned Yost?s RBI single. POWER POINTS: The series continues with games Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and concludes with an afternoon game Sunday. After the game Wednesday, which ended before 1 p.m., the Legends took batting practice and worked on fundamentals. ... Reid Nichols, the Brewers? director of player development, attended Wednesday?s game. In 1980, he played against the Charleston Charlies at Watt Powell Park as a member of the Pawtucket Red Sox and spent eight seasons in the big leagues. ... The Power entered Wednesday?s game with an average attendance of 3,247 in 10 home games, several of which have been played amid showers. Power attendance ranks eighth in the 16-team South Atlantic League. Greensboro leads with a 6,311 average.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=49591 Hart beats Cubs in ninth By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent Corey Hart played the role of Batman to perfection Wednesday, hitting a walk-off solo home run to propel the Nashville Sounds to a 4-3 victory over the Iowa Cubs at Greer Stadium. The role of Robin was a group effort, played brilliantly by the Sounds? bullpen, which has been sensational all season long. Hart?s shot, which thumped off the guitar scoreboard in left-center field, came off Brandon Emanuel with one out in the bottom of the ninth. ?At the end of games, you?re not looking to hit a home run,? Hart said. ?You?re just looking to getting on base and getting a pitch to hit.? Hart?s game-winning homer gives him three walk-off blasts in the last two years at Greer. The home run came off the Iowa bullpen, which allowed the tying and go-ahead runs in the game?s final three innings. Nashville (18-8) received four scoreless innings out of its bullpen. Mike Meyers, Mitch Stetter and Allan Simpson pinned down the Cubs batters. Sounds relievers came into Wednesday?s game with a miniscule 1.85 ERA over the past 12 games. ?The pitching overall has been excellent,? Stetter said. ?It?s awesome to be in this bullpen. The hitters are doing their job and it makes it easier on us. To do your job and then Corey Hart comes up big and we get a big victory.? The bullpen and Hart saved the day after starter Zach Jackson threw five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. The Nashville offense managed just two runs off Iowa starter Jerome Williams, who struggled early but settled down after the first inning. Williams allowed three walks and loaded the bases in the first, but gave up just one run. In addition to his game-wining blast, Hart also notched a game-tying RBI single in the seventh, which scored Tony Gwynn. The Sounds had a chance to score in the eighth but were held in check, setting the stage for Hart?s heroics in the final frame. ?Since I?ve been here, [the bullpen] has been unstoppable,? Hart said. ?Everybody is picking each other up, especially when the starters don?t go late in the game. That?s how you win games, the bullpen keeps [close]. Then you just get a few runs here and there.?

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Hart homer hits right chord for Sounds Scoreboard shot gives Sounds walk-off win By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer The Iowa Cubs suffered a Hart attack Wednesday afternoon. Nashville Sounds outfielder Corey Hart, who came into play with a .424 average during his seven-game hitting streak, hit his fourth home run of the streak, a one-out solo shot off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in the ninth inning to give the Sounds a 4-3 come-from-behind victory. It was Hart's second hit of the day, following a first-inning single that extended the streak to eight games. He's hitting .421 (16-for-38) with 12 RBIs and 10 runs in those eight games. "I'm just trying to get a pitch to not necessarily hit out, but get on base and get something going," said Hart, who hit two game-ending homers in a 17-day span last July, both vs. Memphis. "I probably relax more, try not to do too much, and it happens. I just want to sit back, try to put the ball in play the best I can." Hart, who had four hits that resulted in final-at-bat wins for the Sounds last year, rescued them again after Iowa rallied for a 3-1 lead against starter Zach Jackson. Making his first Greer Stadium start, the former Toronto minor leaguer struck out seven in five innings, but allowed seven hits. "Zach kinda lost it there late ? a little in the fourth and then in the fifth, he lost his command," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "I don't know if he got a little tired or what. It was kinda hot. But it's ... not a bad outing." Nashville, which managed just one run out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the first inning, stranded eight runners in scoring position. "It's always nice to have the middle of the order coming up at that time of the game, in that situation," Kremblas said. "You hope (No. 2 hitter) Jermaine Clark gets on to lead off the inning. He had a tough at-bat, made (Cubs reliever Brandon Emanuel) work hard. You don't know if that had anything to do with Corey's at-bat or not. But the pitch he threw was a mistake pitch. You don't want to throw that good a fastball to Corey there." What they said: "When you come in the game, you've got to hold it close, whether you're up two or down two. With our offense, we can score any time. We had our chances early and we didn't score, but we can score any time. We've got a lot of guys that can take the ball deep, and we've been hitting well." ? reliever Allan Simpson. ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Rivera, Johnson splitting time MAURICE PATTON, The Tennessean "Here today, gone tomorrow" would be an appropriate description of Mike Rivera's appearance among the Pacific Coast League statistical leaders. The Nashville Sounds catcher was atop the league's batting average charts entering Wednesday's play, hitting at a .422 clip, and topped the slugging percentage category as well (.750). However, as part of a platoon with Mark Johnson, Rivera will likely stay right at the required 2.7 plate appearances per team game for inclusion among the leaders all season. Rivera was not among the leaders prior to Monday's series opener against visiting Iowa, despite entering the day with a .436 average. He and Johnson have been used pretty much on a two-games-on, two-games-off basis all season. After playing Monday and Tuesday, Rivera yielded to Johnson for Wednesday's matchup with Iowa. Despite the sporadic use, Rivera has a 15-game hitting streak that is the longest in the PCL this season. Of his five home runs this season, three were in his last four games, and he's scored in each of his last eight games. "Last year, I had to be ready," said Rivera, who hit .285 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs with the Sounds after signing out of the independent Atlantic League in mid-May. "I didn't play every day; I split time with (Julio) Mosquera. I had to work hard every day and be ready for whenever Frank put me in the lineup. I think that helped me mentally prepare, to be ready." Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas is committed to keeping both Rivera and Johnson ? who had a five-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday ? rested and sharp. "It's probably good for both of them," he said. "You don't want to go too many off in a row; that makes it hard to get in a rhythm. "Mike's swinging the bat well. He's doing a much better job of situational hitting. He still gets out of himself at times, but he's staying with his plan pretty well." Off-days overrated: Outfielder Nelson Cruz is the only Sounds player to start each of the team's 26 games. He's batted cleanup in each of those games, and his numbers reflect his opportunities, as he leads the club in home runs (7), doubles (9) and RBIs (22). Only four other Sounds have had 20 defensive starts this season ? Chris Barnwell (24), Vinny Rottino (23), Jermaine Clark and Tony Gwynn (22 each). Cruz's 16 extra-base hits entering Wednesday were the second-highest total in the PCL, and his .617 slugging percentage ranked him fourth in the league. Still stealing: The Sounds padded their stolen-base lead in the PCL with five in Wednesday's win, giving them 50 for the season. Clark had a pair for a league-leading 11.

Final: Jupiter (Marlins) 11, Brevard County 3 Brevard County Box Score: Not where we hoped to see Manny Parra and Mike Jones in the linescore at this point in their careers; Jones needs to be in Milwaukee to start the 2008 season, when he'll be out of options -- the path progression will have to become aggressive at some point -- disappointing line for Mike tonight... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

First, a link to the now-retired Spring Training / April Transaction Thread: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=40 To make room for LHP Manny Parra on the Brevard County roster, infielder Carlos de la Cruz was placed on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury. de la Cruz, 24, debuted impressively at Helena in 2004, skipped low-A in 2005, and is repeating high-A this season: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=657