Jim Goulart

Follow Monday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Activate the Nashville Gameday. For the other links, choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. It's sweet! Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_monaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_pbcafa_1

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at home vs. Oklahoma (Rangers), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime 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 Tim Dillard at Montgomery (Devil Rays), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: LHP Steve Hammond at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 6:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): Hopefully working this week from Palm Beach! www.palmbeachcardinals.com/ West Virginia: Idle

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200604176/ Power has a guardian Angel in its clubhouse Jack Bogaczyk Daily Mail Sports Editor West Virginia Power catcher Angel Salome is a guardian in more than his given name. Robert Wooley took the loss Saturday night for the Power. OK, but the right-hander already had a big save. In this era of the big league ballplayer with salaries on steroids, it's easy to forget that in the low minors, life can be a struggle -- especially so if you're trying to play a familiar game in a foreign land. So, a sunny Easter morning was a good time to discuss a different kind of baseball sacrifice -- if you're scoring at home. When the Power players arrived in Charleston from Milwaukee's minor league spring training, pitchers Ronny Malave of Venezeula and Dominicans Wilfrido Laureano and Rafael Lluberes had $240 ... combined. They needed a place to live. They needed bedding. They needed food. They needed, well, their teammates. "They don't speak the (English) language very well," Salome said before Sunday's game at Appalachian Power Park. "They had enough money to maybe buy some milk, juice, food, but how were they going to live?" Compounding the issue was the fact that Brewer farmhands are paid twice a month during the season -- and the first Power checks didn't come until Saturday. Salome, born in the Dominican Republic but a New York resident since before he went to grade school, paid about $1,000 for rent and a security deposit on a Dunbar apartment and a grocery-store trip for him and the Power's Latin trio. Then, Salome went to second baseman Kenny Holmberg, and asked him to spread the word through the clubhouse that the three players needed help. The Floridian became the team's primary fund-raiser. "Holm' asked them for whatever they could give," Salome said. "One of the coaches pitched in $20, I know. Some guys gave $10. Some gave $2, I think. Maybe somebody could only give a quarter. Doesn't matter. "They needed help -- and remember, the guys contributing hadn't gotten paid yet, either. Holm' did a great, great job. We ended up with $180. I gave $60 to each of the three guys." Wooley said Salome "is absolutely like a dad for those (Latin) guys. He does so much for them. He makes sure they get where they need to go." Well, it turns out Wooley played no small role in the Power's establishment of 2006 residency in the Kanawha Valley also. The right-hander's Sierra truck became one of the main modes of transportation for the newcomers. That bedding you perhaps saw flying onto the westbound roadway near the junction of I-77 and 64 on April 6? Yes, it was wild ... and Wooley. "I look in the rearview mirror and, I'm thinking, ?Oh, my God, we're going to lose everything,' and there are three semis on the one side of me," Wooley said. "We had beds and furniture for seven guys on there -- two apartments, Angel's, and one I live in." Wooley was moving the Power season-loaner beds to Dunbar. Two flew off onto the road, causing one tractor trailer to end up "with tires that were smoking and smelling," Wooley said. "I was going 65-70 (mph) in the fast lane with the hazard lights on ... We're lucky more stuff didn't fly out." Then, how to retrieve the bedding? Wooley, Salome and teammate Nate Yoho decided to dodge vehicles on the interstate to chase mattresses. "Thank God they kind of came off toward the side," Salome said. "That traffic was flying. I've got to admit, it was kind of scary out there." Salome said Wooley, who pitched here much of last season, "is one of the main guys in all of this." Wooley's parents, Ted and Teresa, visiting from Indiana, also moved furniture and donated $50 to the Latin players' cause, their son said. "They drove us to the field, too, those first few days," the catcher added. "They're great people." There obviously are a good number of those also in the Power clubhouse, where it's been proven there is no "i," but there are $$$, in team.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200604178/ West Virginia Power avoids sweep with late rally Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor To use an Easter analogy, the West Virginia Power spent most of Sunday afternoon searching and searching at Appalachian Power Park, before finally finding the eggs. After wasting numerous opportunities earlier in the South Atlantic League game, the Power rallied with a two-run bottom of the eighth for a 4-3 victory over Lexington, salvaging the finale of a three-game set. "The key point to me was after Lexington had taken the lead, we battled and came out successful," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said. "We're a young team in this league, and we're learning, and winning a game like this is important." In the first six innings, the Charleston club had a 2-2 tie, but had struck out five times and hit into a double play with runners in scoring position. "It's part of the game; it's going to happen," Guerrero said. "What matters is we got it done. We're getting the hang of this." Nate Yoho's deep sacrifice fly to left-center produced the winning run, after a clutch Ryan Crew double had tied the score. West Virginia's comeback followed the Legends' lead-taking top of the eighth, when Koby Clemens' two-out single to right produced a lead for Lexington (8-3). Guerrero could have pulled Yoho for a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded, avoiding a lefty-lefty matchup, after Lexington Manager Jack Lind had gone to southpaw Scott Sarver out of the bullpen. "I didn't even consider it," Guerrero said. "Yoho has been swinging the bat well. He had the key at-bat in the game there." Batting eighth in the order for the Power (5-6), the right-fielder seemed as unlikely a game-decider as how he got into the Milwaukee farm system early last July as a free agent signee. That was only after his senior season at home-state Iowa, a fourth tryout camp where Brewers Midwest scouting supervisor Harvey Kuenn Jr. liked him, and a tip from Power investor Tim Wilcox of Charleston. Wilcox formerly worked with Yoho's uncle, Frank, in the oil and gas business in the capital city. "I think they first met on a golf course," Nate Yoho said Sunday. Frank Yoho, who works for Piedmont Gas in North Carolina, mentioned to Wilcox that his nephew had gone undrafted after a college career that included a second team All-Big Ten junior season with the Hawkeyes. Wilcox buttonholed Brewer player development chief Reid Nichols about the former Iowa star early last season. Kuenn checked out Yoho at a camp in Beloit, Wis. Now, Yoho -- batting .292 for the Power -- plays for a club in which Wilcox is an investor. "I just wanted an opportunity," said Yoho, who batted .298 in the Arizona Rookie League last summer before finishing with a four-game Power advancement. "Harvey said he was sending me a plane ticket on July 7. I was gone to Arizona the next morning." Among the top four in the West Virginia batting order, Darren Ford, Lorenzo Cain and Mat Gamel were a combined 7-for-10, but the Power had little to show for it until Gamel drew a one-out walk in the eighth. Kenny Holmberg singled to left before the double by Crew, who's batting a solid .278 and has only two errors at short. After Lexington walked Ned Yost intentionally to load the bases, Yoho went deep enough. Power newcomer Joe Thatcher pitched the ninth for his first save, and Ronny Malave (1-0) got the win despite allowing that eighth-inning Legend run -- the first the Venezuelan right-hander has permitted in 8 2/3 innings this season. POWER PLUGS: Sunday's game was the 101st between the neighboring SAL franchises since Lexington joined the league in 2001. The Power/Alley Cats are 44-57 against Lexington ... After an off day today, West Virginia heads on a seven-game road swing to Hagerstown (four games) and Lexington ... The Easter attendance was only 1,494, the smallest crowd for the Power this season ... The Power had 12 hits from a lineup in which only catcher Angel Salome (0-for-4) didn't reach base ... Leadoff man Ford, who came into the game with one hit in his last 14 at-bats, went 3-for-4.

No minor league matinees Monday, look for Monday's Link Report to kick off this afternoon.

Link for Ben Hendrickson photo while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Hendrickson's mind on his game Overthinking caused pitcher trouble in '05 By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer "Don't think. It can only hurt the ballclub." ? Catcher Crash Davis to pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh, Bull Durham, 1988. As Nashville Sounds pitching coach Stan Kyles watched and worked with Ben Hendrickson last season, there were times when he knew exactly how Kevin Costner's character felt. Following a 2004 performance that saw him earn Most Valuable Player honors in the International League, Hendrickson struggled through an '05 campaign in which he went nearly two months before winning his first start, on May 30. He finished the year just 6-12 with a 4.97 ERA, and a lot of that was due to the shellshock of winning just one of nine decisions as a rookie with Milwaukee the previous season. "He is definitely the epitome of thinking too much," Kyles said of Hendrickson, who is 1-0 with no earned runs in 11 innings after two starts. "I tried to get him, several times, to just throw the ball and not worry about the results of it or the science of it. But when, throughout his whole career, his ability has been forged by the way he's been able to think better than most kids his age, that's a hard thing to do, to stop thinking. "Coming off the season he had in Indianapolis (in 2004), to do the things he did there and then to go to the big leagues and struggle the way he did ? I think in any case, in any young guy, there's going to be some doubt in your abilities. Everything is going well, you're doing such a good job, and then for it to come to a screeching halt at the pinnacle of your goal, I think it takes something out of you. It takes a while for you to get that back, and I think it took him a little longer than most people expected it would because he's such a cerebral player and a guy that has learned to work his way through so many things." Hendrickson agrees that thinking less could lead to doing more this time around ? hopefully allowing Sounds fans to see the right-hander that was dominant in Indianapolis two years ago, winning 11 of 14 decisions with two shutouts, two complete games and a 2.02 ERA. "I was trying to do too much," he said of last year. "I knew what I needed to do, but I'd try to do a little bit more than I needed to do. I put more pressure on myself. "Sometimes, I'd go right at a hitter, get him 0-and-2 and go 'All right, I should throw this pitch ... or maybe I should throw this pitch ...' instead of just throwing the ball. Then, all of a sudden, it starts ticking in my mind." Hendrickson's major league woes were due in part to fatigue, as elbow soreness in 2003 limited him to just 78-1/3 innings at Double-A Huntsville. "I was tired at the all-star break, and they knew it," said Hendrickson, who pitched 171-1/3 innings between Indianapolis and Milwaukee in '04 and 155-2/3 last year. "I had thrown 90 innings by the break. But I'm healthy now and I'm ready to go. "I know I'm good enough to pitch here, I'm good enough to pitch in Milwaukee, I'm good enough to pitch anywhere up there. I just have to continue to work on my delivery and continue to repeat it." Kyles said the 25-year-old showed signs in spring training that he's close to a return trip to the majors. "He did some things to let everybody know he was well on his way back," Kyles said. "There are still some things he needs to correct, and he understands that. But I think the struggles he had last year are going to help him this year. For me, and I voiced this in spring training to our bosses back in Milwaukee, I think Ben is a sleeper this year. I think he's going to be a guy that is going to do some good things this year and force his way back onto a big-league roster. "Even through all his struggles last year, he learned some things. As long as he's went through it and you can see the end of the line, the end of the tunnel with him, that's all you can ask for. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as he gets through. I think it's all going to come together for him this year, and I'm expecting big things from him."

Sounds focus on defense Get above .500 thanks to infield By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Following a flurry of hits in their first two home games of the season, offense gave way to defense for the Nashville Sounds yesterday against Oklahoma. Sounds starter Justin Thompson faced one over the minimum in his four innings due to some stellar plays behind him, and reliever Wilton Chavez avoided trouble with one of the team's PCL-leading double plays. That helped Nashville (6-5) break .500 for the first time with a 5-2 victory in front of a crowd of 3,153. "We knew we didn't have as much power as we had last year; we knew we had to do it with pitching, baserunning, defense," said first baseman Brad Nelson, whose diving stop contributed to a one-two-three third inning for Thompson. "We proved it. The pitchers did a good job, and it helps them relax if we make the plays we're supposed to make." Just prior to Nelson's stop, third baseman Vinny Rottino made a diving stab and throw for an out to help Thompson get deeper into the contest than he did in his first outing. "He was much more efficient this time," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said of Thompson, who has had four surgical procedures on his left (throwing) shoulder and is on a 40-pitch limit. "He really labored in his 1-2/3 innings (on April 10). But this time, he mixed it up, threw strikes and made them put it in play." Thompson threw 43 pitches before yielding to Chavez, who got a sliding catch from right fielder Nelson Cruz to open the fifth. Chavez then got out of a first-and-third, one-out situation with a double play, Nashville's 18th of the season, before giving up solo homers in the sixth and seventh innings . After getting 37 hits in its previous two games, Nashville got three of its seven hits in the seventh, scoring three runs, and Chavez allowed just one runner in Oklahoma's last two at-bats. "Our pitchers are doing great," said Dave Krynzel, who had two triples. "They're giving up a couple of hits, then shutting the next guy down. The middle infield is making fabulous plays; our defensive positioning has really gone well. Our scouting reports have been on right now." Salute: Sundays at Greer Stadium have been designated as Tennessee National Guard Sunday, with the Sounds set to wear camouflage jerseys in tribute. At the conclusion of the season, the game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the families of those who have been called up for active duty. Smokin' hot: Over their last five games, the Sounds are hitting .356 (64-180). That included 37 hits in the first two home games, following a 12-hit performance on Wednesday at Iowa and eight on Thursday. Yesterday's 7-for-30 effort slowed the Sounds' roll, as they were hitting .380 (57-150) in four games prior to that. Doubled over: Nelson Cruz's first-inning RBI double did more than just give the Sounds a 1-0 lead. It was his sixth double, which leads the Pacific Coast League, as well as his league-leading eighth extra-base hit. Tony Gwynn added a run-scoring double in the seventh, raising the Sounds' total to a PCL-leading 26 and tying him with Cruz for the team lead in RBIs with nine. Triple-double: Krynzel's first-inning triple was so nice, the Sounds outfielder did it twice ? and both were to the almost exact same spot, into the right-centerfield gap. Krynzel became the 10th Nashville player to hit two triples in the same game and the first since outfielder Rich Thompson on July 19, 2004. Krynzel had seven triples last year for the Sounds. Streak snapped: Nashville infielder Jermaine Clark had his hitting streak stopped at seven games. Clark, who leads with Sounds with a .394 average, went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. What they said: "We're just having fun. There's a good feeling all around. There's a lot of talk about staying positive. The positives are everywhere, and the negatives aren't even there." ? Krynzel.

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Defense, base running key to Sounds victory By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent On a day when the gusty Greer Stadium wind blew strongly towards centerfield, the Nashville Sounds stayed true to their winning formula for the 2006 season, securing a 5-2 Sunday matinee win over Oklahoma thanks to its defense, base running and pitching. Nashville (6-5) got four strong innings from starter Justin Thompson, who currently is being held to a strict pitch count. Thompson went four innings and gave up just one hit, while walking none on 43 pitches Thompson was spelled by Wilton Chavez, who also threw well. Chavez picked up the victory, going five innings and allowing just two runs ? both of which came on RedHawk solo homers. ?[Thompson] threw well,? Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. ?He mixed it up, threw strikes, made them put it in play.? The Sounds supported the solid pitching of Thompson and Chavez with outstanding defense, which already has become one of this team?s calling cards this young season. Infielders Vinny Rotino and Brad Nelson both made sensational extra base-saving grabs in the third inning. Additionally, Nashville turned its Pacific Coast League best 18th double play of the season in the fifth inning, behind a run-saving play from shortstop Chris Barnwell. ?You can see the plays the [infielders are] making right now, they?re making them look normal,? Sounds left fielder Dave Krynzel said. ?But they?re not normal.? Nashville found its way to five runs without hitting a single homerun. Instead, the Sounds were terrors on the base paths as they swiped four bases. Another aggressive base running play led to the Sounds? go-ahead run in the seventh inning. With runners on the corners, Barnwell tried to steal second base. When he did, Nelson headed for home plate. Oklahoma tried to down Nelson at the plate, but catcher Jamie Burke dropped the ball and Nashville took the lead. ?We were aggressive on the base paths once again,? Kremblas said. ?We got lucky on the play at home plate.? Krynzel tied a team record with two triples in the afternoon, although only one led to a Sounds run. Krynzel was the only Nashville player to collect more than one hit. Last year?s Sounds lineup featured an impressive collection of power hitters, but this year?s team prides itself on plate patience and timely hitting. ?The whole team right now is one big clique,? Krynzel said. ?Everyone is working together and everyone?s staying positive. The veterans are coming in and having good at-bat after good at-bat. Success or failure doesn?t matter, just keeping the same approach. We?re kind of no-holds-barred right now.? After grabbing a 2-0 lead, Chavez gave up a solo homer to Will Smith in the sixth inning and Adam Hyzdu in the seventh, which tied the score. Nashville answered in its half of the seventh, taking the lead on the Nelson play at the plate. Tony Gwynn Jr. followed that with an RBI double. Gwynn scored later in the inning on a throwing error by Oklahoma second baseman Ruddy Yan. While the Sounds have become a small ball team offensively, right fielder Nelson Cruz is still supplying the team with power in the middle of the lineup. Cruz hit his PCL-leading eighth extra base hit, an RBI double in the first. Nashville concludes its series with Oklahoma today, with ace Ben Hendrickson taking the hill.

Final: Nashville 5, Oklahoma (Rangers) 2 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Dave Krynzel photo, text follows -- Sounds Win Third Straight Over Oklahoma, 5-2 NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds won their third straight game on Sunday afternoon at Greer Stadium, posting a 5-2 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks. The win was the Sounds? fifth in their last six games and gave the club its first winning record of the season at 6-5. The Sounds took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning using a pair of extra-base hits against Oklahoma starter Robinson Tejeda. With one out, Dave Krynzel laced a triple to the wall in right-center then scored on Nelson Cruz?s two-out RBI double to right. The two-bagger was Cruz?s PCL-leading eighth extra-base hit of the year and Nashville?s 25th league-leading double of the campaign. Nashville doubled the lead to 2-0 in the second when Brent Abernathy drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a groundout, stole third, and scored on a Chris Barnwell sacrifice fly to left. Sounds starter Justin Thompson turned in a solid outing, allowing one hit over four scoreless innings, before being removed due to a pitch count limitation. The left-hander threw 43 pitches, 31 for strikes, and took a no-decision. Krynzel legged out his second triple in the bottom of the fifth to tie the Nashville single-game record for three-baggers. He is the tenth player in franchise history to record two triples in a game and the first since Rich Thompson accomplished the feat on July 19, 2004. RedHawks outfielder Will Smith made it a 2-1 contest in the sixth with a leadoff solo homer to left off Sounds reliever Wilton Chavez. The blast was his second longball of the year. Former Sound Adam Hyzdu knotted the contest at 2-2 in the top of the seventh with a one-out solo homer to center off Chavez, his first roundtripper of the season. The Sounds pulled back ahead in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of a pair of Oklahoma errors to plate three runs, two of the unearned variety, against the RedHawks bullpen. Brad Nelson led off with a single, was sacrificed to second, and moved to third on a Barnwell single. With Tony Gwynn at the plate, Barnwell broke for second and the throw eventually came home and beat Nelson to the plate but Oklahoma catcher Jamie Burke dropped the ball to allow the run to score, giving Nashville a 3-2 lead. Gwynn followed with an RBI double to right to bring in Barnwell. Gwynn scored the game?s final run later in the frame on a throwing error on Oklahoma second baseman Ruddy Yan on a ball hit by Vinny Rottino. Chavez (1-0) earned his first victory of the year by working the final five frames, allowing two runs on four hits. Ron Mahay (0-1) took the loss for Oklahoma after being touched for three runs (one earned) in his two-thirds of an inning. Second baseman Jermaine Clark has his team-best seven-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-4 afternoon. The Sounds and RedHawks wrap up their series on Monday evening with a 6 p.m. finale. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (1-0, 0.00) ? who has yet to allow a run in 11 innings pitched this season ? makes the start for Nashville. Oklahoma will counter with southpaw John Rheinecker (0-1, 9.31). AUDIO: Brad Nelson Defensive Stop At 1B -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-16.wma Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-16.wma

Final: West Virginia 4, Lexington (Astros) 3 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power score twice in the eighth to beat Lexington The West Virginia Power entered the eighth inning of Sunday afternoon?s game against the Lexington Legends at Appalachian Power Park down 3-2. The Power scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Legends 4-3 and avoided the sweep. The Power scored first in the bottom of the first inning when Mat Gamel reached on a fielder?s choice which allowed Darren Ford to cross the plate. Lexington answered quickly in the top of the second inning on Mike Thompson?s sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. The Power took their second lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on Ford?s RBI single. Lexington again answered right back to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning when Ryan Reed reached on Kenny Holmberg?s error which allowed Eli Iorg to score. Lexington took their only lead of the game in the top of the eighth inning on Koby Clemens?s two out RBI single. In the bottom of the eighth Ryan Crew tied the game with an RBI double, and two batters later Nate Yoho drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Ronny Malave (1-0) earned the victory, Joe Thatcher (2) earned the save and Jamie Gant (0-1) obtained the loss. The Power are 5-6 after the win and the Legends fall to 8-3 with the loss. The Power will begin a four game series against the Hagerstown Suns at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland on Tuesday night. Left hander Derek Miller (0-0, 1.80) will start for the Power. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM (5:35 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Darren Ford a much-needed three-hit game... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

The Montgomery link in the prior post includes a Lou Palmisano home plate collision photo. Some web pages don't allow for the image link to be copied elsewhere.

Link while active, text follows: www.montgomeryadvertiser....70331/1002 Huntsville slugger haunts Biscuits By A. Stacy Long Montgomery Advertiser Greg Sain has a new organization and a new team within the Southern League. He still chomps on Biscuits. Sain continued his gorging on Montgomery pitching Sunday, cracking a two-run home run in the seventh inning that sparked the Huntsville Stars to a 4-1 win at Riverwalk Stadium. Sain, who played for the Mobile BayBears the last two years, has nine home runs in 29 career games against the Biscuits. "Players always seem to do better against one team or another," Montgomery manager Charlie Montoyo said. "Maybe he likes the Biscuits." Sain does. He has a .298 average with 16 runs scored and 21 RBIs with Montgomery in the other dugout. At Riverwalk Stadium, he has eight extra-base hits in 14 games. "I must say I do feel comfortable in this ballpark," Sain said. "There's a great batter's eye (background) and I can see the ball real well. Somehow, I lock in." Sain's two-run shot Sunday broke up a scoreless game and spoiled a nice start by Montgomery's Andy Sonnanstine. Sonnanstine (1-1) struck out the two batters after Sain before being relieved. He finished with 10 strikeouts, walked one and allowed four hits. "One bad pitch and that was the ballgame," Montgomery left fielder Michael Coleman said. "He battled his (butt) off. The guy just guessed right, I guess." Sain's home run came on an 0-2 pitch that he was expecting. Sain suspected Sonnanstine would throw a slider. Sonnanstine did and didn't put it in a perfect location. It soon landed over the left-field wall. "The location could have been just a little better," Sonnanstine said. "I didn't hang it, but it wasn't exactly where I wanted it, and he put a good swing on it." Sain, nor his teammates, had done much against Sonnanstine. Sain grounded to third and was called out on strikes in his first two at-bats. Until the home run, the Stars had yet to successfully reach second base. "Their pitcher had a good breaking ball all day," Sain said. "I think some fatigue may have set in on the (home run) pitch because he left it over the plate." The home run by Sain was his second in two days and gives him three this season. "That's why we picked him up this year," Stars manager Don Money said. "We needed some pop." Sain has only two other hits and has a .208 average entering today. "Hopefully, I can mix in some other hits," Sain said. "I love home runs, but I want to be more consistent and strike out less." Huntsville starter Carlos Villanueva matched Sonnanstine -- except for the home run. Villanueva (2-1) worked 6 1/3 shutout innings, a reversal from his last outing. On Sunday, he gave up six hits, walked one and struck out seven. Last week, Birmingham totaled seven runs and nine hits in four innings against Villanueva. Villanueva threw five shutout innings in the season opener. "We told him he needed to pick up his intensity a little bit," Money said. "He came out and did that. He's had two good outings and one not so good."

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ ANOTHER WIN ... AND A NEW RECORDThese five-game series have plenty of debating points, good and bad, but one point is now begining to emerge -- its effect on the No. 1 man, usually the ace, of the rotation. He's the one who has to be ready on the bus ride. He's the one who faces new lineups right away, and sometimes, he's the one who gets the less rest......... Carlos Villanueva isn't using it as some kind of excuse, nor should any other pitcher. They're at a disadvantage, not seeing new hitters, then having to remember their strengths and weaknesses at the plate the next time they face them, but they are usually the aces, the top prospects whose talent and abilities are likely a bit above the rest of the rotation........ Outside of being roughed up by Birmingham, Villanueva hasn't been scored upon in 12 innings, giving up eight hits and striking out 12, so his 4.02 ERA after today's game is deceiving. But if Villanueva was impressive today, his opponent Andrew Sonnanstine gave Stars fans real concern, turning this first game into the classic pitchers' duel....... Sonnanstine, ranked 20th by Baseball America among the Devil Rays' top prospects, last year became only the 3rd pitcher ever to win 14 games in Tampa's minor league organization, joining Scott Autry and Chris Seddon...... Sonnanstine led the D'Rays' minor league chain last year in wins, ERA, and strikeouts -- pitching's triple crown. It will be interesting to see him pitch at Joe Davis Stadium. Villanueva and Sonnanstine battled each other for six quick innings....... Only Callix Crabbe had any success at the plate, delivering a line drive single over the head of 2nd baseman Elliot Johnson in the 1st and a bloop hit to right in the 4th that followed a sensational catch in right field by Jeremy Owens. But between those moments, Sonnanstine struck out Drew Anderson in the 1st, Adam Heether and Lou Palmisano in the 2nd, Steve Moss and Ozzie Chavez in the 3rd, and Greg Sain in the 4th, keeping the Stars from mounting anything serious........ Villanueva gave up a gift double to Michael Coleman in the 2nd inning, but the Stars, whose defense has shown marked improvement especially in the infield this year, cut Coleman down trying to score on a bouncer to third by Ryan Christenson. Heether, fielding it backhanded on two hops, threw across the infield to Eure to get the batter. Eure then hurriedly made a throw to third as Coleman was breaking, but the throw got past Chavez covering the bag. Chavez took the ball in foul territory beyond the Biscuits' dugout and threw it to Palmisano, who tagged Coleman at the plate....... Villanueva gave up a single and a walk in the 4th, but struck out Gabriel Martinez, the Southern League batting leader, to end the inning. Villanueva continued to show no trouble through the 5th and 6th innings, but Sonnanstine was having no problems either as the game swiftly proceeded. Then the Stars, into the 7th inning, a leadoff single paid off........ Drew Anderson opened the inning with a base hit to center on a 2-2 pitch from Sonnanstine. Greg Sain waved through a curve ball, which had been working well for him all day, then tried to hold up on a fast ball, but found himself behind 0-and-2. After fouling one off, Sain jerked a curve ball deep to left field for a two-run homer, his 3rd of the year, the Stars' 6th......... Stephen Bray came on in the 7th for Villanueva and with Chiaron Isenia, who appeared in this year's World Baseball Classic for The Netherlands, on base with a hit, Bray struck out Matthew Maniscalco and Jeremy Owens swinging. With a 4-0 lead, Bray dug himself out of trouble, giving up just a run, and Joe Winkelsas closed the door in the 9th, despite an error by Callix Crabbe that put the leadoff hitter on base. The error by Crabbe was only the 5th made by the Stars this season....... The Stars set a new club record for fewest errors by committing just four after their first ten games, smashing the record of seven that was set in 1995 and tied last year. ...... After ten games, the Stars bullpen has a 3.05 ERA and a 5.29 SO-BB ratio...... The Stars have scored more runs in the 3rd inning (10) than any other inning, but they have also allowed more runs in the 3rd.......... The middle of the order after ten games was hitting only .205, but thanks mostly to Greg Sain, had more RBIs than the upper or lower third of the order........ Was informed at the welcome banquet for the Stars last Sunday that John Vanden Berg decided to quit baseball, rather than accept an assignment to Clearwater in the high-A Florida State League. Vanden Berg's catching counterpart last year, Jeff Winchester, apparently let go by the Cubs' organization, did accept an assignment to Clearwater after being assigned by the Phillies...... As of the moment, he's hitting .235 in six games.

Final: Huntsville 4, Montgomery (Devil Rays) 1 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=786 Villanueva, Sain Lead Stars to Victory Carlos Villanueva tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings and got the runs he needed on a seventh inning home run by Greg Sain as Huntsville downed Montgomery 4-1 Sunday afternoon in the opener of a five-game set at Riverwalk Stadium. The Stars won their third in a row after a three-game slide to improve to 6-5 overall and 4-2 on the road, while the Biscuits dropped their fourth in a row after a six-game win streak to fall to 6-5. Andy Sonnenstine blanked the Stars on two Callix Crabbe singles through the first six innings before Drew Anderson opened the seventh with a single and Sain followed by walloping an 0-2 curve ball over the wall in left field for his second home run in as many days and his third in the last five games. Sonnenstine left after 6 2/3 innings during which he walked one and struck out ten and ended five of his six full innings with a punch out. Huntsville added two runs in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Crabbe, who finished with three hits and extended his hitting streak to six games, and a fielder?s choice grounder by Drew Anderson that scored Kennard Bibbs. Villanueva bounced back from a rough outing Tuesday, during which he gave up seven runs on nine hits over four innings, to blank the home side on six hits and a walk. The right-hander struck out seven to earn his second win of the season in his second outing in which he was not scored upon. Steve Bray gave up a run in the eighth inning on a fielders? choice grounder that ended a string of 10 2/3 scoreless innings by the Stars bullpen. Joe Winkelsas tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second save. The Stars will send right-hander Tim Dillard to the mound on Monday night in the second game of the set against Biscuits? right-hander Tony Peguero. 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: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_monaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_monaax_1

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 A&M leaves 1 standing Covering the bases Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times Ten games into the season, the Stars are 5-5. And the assessment of the team is pretty much 50-50. The pitching, said manager Don Money, "has been pretty decent for the most part.'' The defense "has been solid.'' The offense, though, "has been a little suspect,'' Money said. The Stars typically start five players who have yet to play a full season of Double-A ball. So the younger players "are still searching.'' The Stars are hitting .229 as a team, but still waiting on players like Drew Anderson (6-for-34), Jeff Eure (7-for-36), Adam Heether (8-for-36) and Steve Moss (8-for-35) to break out. "They've been holding their own, but now after 10 games, the guys should be getting their feet on the ground and know basically what to expect,'' Money said. For what Moss had in his pocket, he'll have something else removed from there. The Stars center fielder had his sunglasses stuffed in his pocket instead of wearing them, and then lost a fly ball in the sun for a double Saturday. Not using sunglasses during day games prompts a fine from Money. The Huntsville starters are working longer pitch counts this year, because most of them had more work in spring training than in 2005. This enables them to work deeper into the game, puts less strain on the bullpen and even allows for the occasional situational relief stint, as lefty Andy Pratt had Saturday, facing only one hitter, the lefty Ricardo Nanita. ... Among Saturday's visitors, Robin Bellizzi, the popular former Stars ticket manager, now director of catering for the Barons. ... No end is in sight for the umpires' strike as negotiations have stalled. ... A survey on the umpires' Web page asks, "Will fans honor the strike and not attend games?" A resounding 60 percent responded, "no one will even care." Around the league It's still too early to judge whether the Southern League's five-game series format is good or bad. But for now, until rotations begin to change, it puts a heavy burden on each staff's No. 1 starter, as he opens each series and faces teams without benefit of seeing the opponent before. ... The Stars will be facing the league's top hitter on their trip to Montgomery. Infielder Gabriel Martinez was batting .481, with three homers and seven RBIs, going into Saturday's games. ... West Tenn went to the SL championship series last year on the strength of its pitching, and it's carrying the Diamond Jaxx now. West Tenn was 7-2 with a team batting average of .249 with only two homers and 28 runs scored, but with a 1.61 team ERA. ... Tennessee reliever Casey Daigle was promoted quickly to the majors after pitching three scoreless innings for the Smokies, taking the spot of injured Terry Mulholland. Daigle is husband of Olympic softball star Jennie Finch. Brewings (through Friday's games) Triple-A Nashville Sounds (4-5, third place in Pacific Coast League American Division): P Dana Eveland (1-0, 1.50 ERA) with perfect game through six innings in Sounds home opener Friday. Single-A Brevard County Manatees (8-1, first in Florida State East Division): 2B Stephen Sollman .435, .552 on-base percentage. Single-A West Virginia Power (4-5, fifth in South Atlantic League Northern Division): C Angel Salome .367, 7 RBIs. On deck The Stars play the Biscuits at Montgomery today at 2:05, the first of a five-game series. It'll also mark the start a 10-game, 11-day homestand. Watch for Mobile catcher George Kottaras is considered San Diego's top prospect among position players.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Bully for Ballouli Starter gets first win of season as Stars hit in clutch By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com At the far end of the Stars' clubhouse, music was spilling from nuclear-powered speakers. The decibel level was somewhere between "jet engine" and "warning: will cause permanent loss of hearing." Khalid Ballouli was mimicking a few fancy dance steps, encouraged by fellow pitcher Corey Thurman. Elsewhere, there was similar - if not quite as demonstrative - joy in Huntsville's headquarters. Because: (1) The Stars had finished a game in 2:10. (2) With the rare afternoon game, it meant a Saturday night off. (3) And, oh yeah, there was the matter of the 6-2 victory over Birmingham by the stubborn Stars, who wrapped up their first 10 games of the year at 5-5 by winning back-to-back against the Barons. Designated hitter Greg Sain jacked a home run, backup catcher J.C. Boscan drove in one run and scored another and the Stars' offense capitalized on opportunities, something it failed to do in the three earlier losses to the Barons. The Stars were 4-for-4 with runners on third and less than two outs, enabling them "to pick up runs where you should,'' said manager Don Money. With reason for celebrating was Ballouli, the 26-year-old righty from Austin, Texas, by way of Texas A&M. He survived an inning of goofs - a misplayed fly, a walk and a pair of wild pitches, the second scoring a run - in the third and collected his first win of the season. A year ago was a struggle. He was a starter to begin the season, but had trouble avoiding jams in the early innings. Ballouli was eventually relegated to the bullpen, then put on the shelf in July with a strained muscle. Final numbers: 4-7 record, 4.82 ERA, a strikeout-to-walk ratio barely better than 2-to-1, after 4-to-1 in '04. "Confidence plays a big part,'' he said. "Last year was my first year in Double-A. Instead of seeing one or two prospects in the (opposing) lineup, you're seeing four and five. The guys in the seventh and eighth hole can hurt you. I think I was just overwhelmed last year. I tried to do too much, tried to throw too hard and work too many corners.'' Lesson learned: "A year in Double-A teaches you to trust your stuff, throw your stuff,'' he said. "It's a mental game.'' His stuff Saturday afternoon was gauged "a good outing" by Ballouli and "he threw the ball good, but he got some balls up" by Money. "I couldn't locate my fastball where I wanted to, but Boscy (Boscan) and I had the pitches working pretty good in and out,'' Ballouli said. He gave up four hits and two runs in five innings, striking out five and walking - yikes - four. For the fourth straight game, Huntsville went at least 0-for-7 to start the game. This time it was 0-for-8, with that eighth man, Jeff Eure, reaching on an error. Boscan followed with a double to right, then Ozzie Chavez singled in Eure. A Callix Crabbe sacrifice fly scored Boscan to make it 2-1. Boscan added a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, Sain homered in the sixth and the Stars plated two more in the eighth on an Adam Heether single and Drew Anderson groundout. "This team is going to hit late,'' Ballouli said. "You can't give up on our team. You just have to (as a starter) keep the score close.'' The Stars now head to Montgomery for a five-game series beginning Sunday afternoon.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006041536 Clemens? son hits key homer as Legends down Power 9-4 By Chris Wade For Sunday Charleston Gazette-Mail The West Virginia Power showed plenty of fight on Breast Cancer Awareness night, but in the end, Lexington?s offense was too much as the Legends earned a 9-4 victory Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park in front of a crowd of 3,165. Koby Clemens, the son of legendary pitcher Roger Clemens, smacked a three-run homer to right-center field in the third inning. The Power (4-6) got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning with the help of a Lexington error. With one out, shortstop Ryan Crew and catcher Angel Salome both singled. Power cleanup hitter Mat Gamel also singled to left field. Power manager and third base coach Mike Guerrero held up Crew rounding third base, but Lexington left fielder Ryan Reed bobbled the ball, allowing Crew to score and give the Power the early 1-0 lead. The Legends quickly responded in the second inning by plating three runs of their own. Ole Sheldon and Mitch Einertson led off the inning with doubles to tie the game at 1. Later in the inning with runners on first and second and two out, Lexington catcher Eric Cavers drove in Einertson with a single. On the play, Power right fielder Lorenzo Cain let the ball get past him, allowing another Lexington runner to score. The Power cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI groundout by designated hitter Brad Willcutt, but it didn?t take Lexington long to respond as the Legends plated three more runs in the top of the third. With one out in the third, Eli Iorg singled, Einertson walked with two outs, and then Lexington third baseman Clemens delivered his three-run homer. ?It?s always nice to get runs early. We hit the ball well tonight,? said Lexington manager Jack Lind. ?That was a big home run Koby hit and was huge for us.? The Power wouldn?t go away quietly, though, plating solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the Lexington lead to 6-4. In the fifth inning, Salome reached base for the third consecutive at-bat on the night, drawing a walk and promptly stealing second base. Gamel grounded out to shortstop, allowing Salome to reach third, and then Power second baseman Kenny Holmberg also grounded out, driving in a run. In the sixth inning, Power first baseman Ned Yost led off the inning with his first home run of the season, a solo shot, to cut the deficit to 6-4. Lexington, however, plated a run in the seventh inning and two more in the ninth to round out the scoring and improve to 8-2 on the season. ?All I can ask for is for the guys to keep fighting and battling hard, and we did that tonight,? Guerrero said. ?We cut it to 6-4 and had our chances but [Lexington] got better rallies than we did and those three runs they scored late really hurt and put the game away.? For the Legends, Sheldon collected three hits while Cavers, Iorg, and Josh Flores each had two hits as Lexington pounded out 12 hits. The Power also collected 12 hits as Holmberg and Yost led the way with three hits each and Salome added two hits. West Virginia Power?s Michael Brantley was caught in a rundown by Lexington?s Tommy Manzella (with ball) and Ole Sheldon (23), but Brantley made it safely back to first base when the Legends mishandled the play. The Power was wearing pink uniform tops in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/WVPower.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...061/SPORTS Manatees establish winning foundation Bulk of team may remain together for whole season Scott Brown, Florida Today The Cape Fear Crocs of Fayetteville, N.C., opened the 1998 season with 15 consecutive wins. Brevard County Manatees general manager Buck Rogers worked in media relations for the Crocs, a South Atlantic League team, when they put together the streak that included eight road wins. Brevard County only made it a third of the way to matching that feat before losing its sixth game. But Rogers sees similarities between the Manatees and the team that had future major-leaguers such as Milton Bradley, Jorge Julio and Brian Schneider. "These guys expect to win," Rogers said of the Manatees, who took an 8-1 record into Saturday's game against visiting Vero Beach, "and I've never seen that except for the '98 Crocs." The Crocs' blistering start ultimately worked against them to some degree. "The middle of May," Rogers said, "we were gutted." Julio and Schneider, now the Washington Nationals' starting catcher, were promoted before the end of the first half of the season. Bradley was gone shortly after the start of the second half. Rogers doesn't expect the early success of the Manatees to translate into a mass exodus from Brevard County. The team's parent club, Milwaukee, has one of the best farm systems in baseball. The Brewers can afford to err on the side of caution when determining whether a prospect is ready to advance to the next level -- in this case Double-A ball in Huntsville, Ala. Rogers said Brewers officials have told him they want to keep the Manatees together for the most part to build up the confidence of the players and let them experience success. Many of those players still are very young -- highly regarded prospects Alcides Escobar, Hernan Iribarren and Ryan Braun are 19, 21 and 22, respectively. So there is no reason to rush them. Such thinking and the Manatees' early play has Rogers thinking that he might be able to experience postseason play -- the division winners in the first and second half of the season advance to the Florida State League playoffs -- for the first time since 1999. "Our guys walk out there with confidence where they just expect to win," Rogers said.

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds see hits abound Pound out 18 more for 37 in two games By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer The Nashville Sounds didn't score first last night, but they scored often in an 11-6 win over visiting Oklahoma. Nashville, which posted the Pacific Coast League's best early-scoring percentage by drawing first blood in eight of its first nine games, rallied from a three-run first inning deficit in decisive fashion ? scoring in each of its first four at-bats to win for the second straight night and for the fourth time in its last five games . After getting 19 hits in Friday's 11-1 win, the Sounds pounded out 18 hits last night. Prior to this homestand, Nashville had 60 hits in its first eight road games. "More than likely, a team is going to start slow offensively," said Sounds centerfielder Tony Gwynn, who finished the night a triple short of the team's first cycle since J.R. House accomplished the feat on May 21, 2004. "But you start settling in, start picking out the pitches you want to hit and start locking in." Gwynn, who also walked and scored in the first, is tied for the team lead in RBIs with eight and leads the team with eight runs scored. In addition to his RBI double in the second inning , he had a solo home run ? his first of the season ? in the fourth. Gwynn had an RBI single in the sixth, then reached on an infield error in the seventh. "Before I got in the on-deck circle, I was thinking about the triple," he said. "But once you get in the circle, you focus so much you don't think about it." Seven Nashville hitters had multi-hit games, with Dave Krynzel matching Gwynn's three. "I've never been on a team where hitting wasn't contagious," Gwynn said. "When you've got two or three guys hitting, the other guys start feeding off them and it becomes a real contagious thing." Over their last four games, the Sounds are hitting .380 (57-150). "It's still early," Gwynn said. "It wouldn't surprise me if we stayed hot for about a week, then kinda leveled out to where we want to be. But it wouldn't bother me if we stay this hot the rest of the season." Despite the early offense, Nashville starter Dennis Sarfate wasn't able to take advantage. Sarfate was lifted after 4 1/3 innings, with reliever Jason Kershner pitching 2 2/3 innings to earn his team-leading second win. "It would have been nice to have gotten him through five," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said of Sarfate, who allowed four earned runs on seven hits. "But he ran out of gas in the fifth." Deja Helling: Sarfate didn't arrive in Nashville from Class AA Huntsville last season until after the May 27 broken bat incident that saw Rick Helling's left forearm impaled by a shard of wood, but many Sounds had to have had flashbacks last night. In the second inning, Erubiel Durazo's bat broke as he hit a groundball to the right side. The bat head helicoptered past Sarfate's head as he went over to cover first base, but the pitcher avoided the wood and took the throw from first baseman Brad Nelson to end the inning. Runnin' wild: With three stolen bases in four attempts last night, the Sounds improved to 17-for-22 ? the PCL's second-best mark behind New Orleans' 21. Nashville outfielder Krynzel stole his sixth base of the year, ranking him second in the league as well. Pinch-trainer: David Lake was in the dugout with the Sounds last night in place of trainer Jeff Paxson, who had to leave the team due to a death in his family. Lake is assigned to the Milwaukee Brewers' rookie-league team in Helena, Mont., which does not begin play until June. Paxson is expected to rejoin the Sounds before the end of the current homestand. What they said: "We hit some balls in the gaps, and folks busted their butts out of the (batter's) box like they're supposed to. I think we're doing a better job of pitch selection." ? Kremblas.

Standings through Saturday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 6 4 .600 - 5-3 1-1 W1 Omaha 6 4 .600 - 5-3 1-1 L1 [b]Nashville 5 5 .500 1.0 2-0 3-5 W2[/b] Memphis 1 9 .100 5.0 1-1 0-8 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 7 3 .700 - 4-1 3-2 W1 West Tenn 7 3 .700 - 0-0 7-3 L1 [b]Huntsville 5 5 .500 2.0 2-3 3-2 W2[/b] Carolina 4 6 .400 3.0 0-0 4-6 L1 Tennessee 3 7 .300 4.0 2-3 1-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Brevard County 9 1 .900 - 5-1 4-0 W4[/b] St. Lucie 8 2 .800 1.0 4-1 4-1 W3 Palm Beach 6 4 .600 3.0 1-1 5-3 L1 Jupiter 4 6 .400 5.0 3-5 1-1 L3 Daytona 2 8 .200 7.0 1-6 1-2 W1 Vero Beach 1 9 .100 8.0 1-1 0-8 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 8 2 .800 - 6-2 2-0 W2 Delmarva 7 3 .700 1.0 2-1 5-2 L1 Greensboro 6 4 .600 2.0 5-3 1-1 L1 Lake County 6 4 .600 2.0 2-1 4-3 L1 Hagerstown 4 6 .400 4.0 3-0 1-6 W1 Hickory 4 6 .400 4.0 2-4 2-2 W1 [b]West Virginia 4 6 .400 4.0 1-5 3-1 L2[/b] Lakewood 1 9 .100 7.0 1-2 0-7 W1

Brevard County Site Game Summary: Link, then text -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Manatees Sweep Vero Beach and Remain On Top Brevard County holds best record in Minor League Baseball By Jenny Rennie / Brevard County Manatees On a night when the skies above Space Coast Stadium was lit up with Fireworks, the Brevard County Manatees won their fourth game in a row and grasped the honor of the holding the best record in Minor League Baseball. The Manatees have started the season with nine wins and only one loss. Close to 3,000 fans watched the home team's bats knock down the visiting Vero Beach Dodgers 9-4 before viewing a post-game show in the sky. Brevard County started off hot by scoring two runs in the first inning with Josh Murray adding a solo shot homer in the second. Steve Sollmann, who leads the league with a .481 batting average, connected three out of four times on the night including a solo home run. Travis Ezi dominated the Dodgers pitching staff going 4-5 with two runs scored. Five Manatees pitchers aided in the win by striking out 14 Vero batters while David Johnson picked up his third win of the season. Manatees starter Mike Jones tossed two innings of two-hit ball and no earned runs. Brevard County hits the road to extend their winning streak as they visit Palm Beach and Jupiter and then return home on April 23rd for a three-game set with St. Lucie.

Follow Sunday'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_monaax_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