Jim Goulart

Final: Brevard County 5, St. Lucie (Mets) 1 Brevard County Site Game Summary: The Manatees good pitching and timely hitting helped them cruise to a 5-1 win over the St. Lucie Mets on Saturday night. Manatees starter Steve Hammond showed off an impressive array of pitches in his six-inning effort. He stifled Mets batters in his fourth win of the year, allowing only one run on three hits while striking out six. Jeremy Lewis pitched three scoreless innings on his way to recording his eighth save. Mets starting pitcher Chuck Smith wasn't fooling the Manatees hitters as he allowed all five runs in the Manatees victory. The 'Tees managed to put up runs in the second and fifth innings before breaking out for three more in the bottom of the seventh. With one out in the seventh, Ozzie Chavez's bunt single would start things off. Nestor Corredor's RBI double scored Chavez, and Steve Sollmann walked to bring up Steve Moss. Moss would do the job with an RBI double to plate Corredor. Drew Anderson would follow with a single to bring in Sollmann and finish off the scoring for the night. The Manatees conclude their homestand Sunday afternoon against the St. Lucie Mets. Brevard County Box Score: Lefty Steve Hammond showing that his quick promotions from Helena to West Virginia to Brevard County were warranted... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Final: West Virginia 4, Lexington (Astros) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Braun hits walk off two-run homer in Power winCharleston, WV ? On Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park, Ryan Braun came to the plate with Hernan Iribarren on first base and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Braun delivered a walk-off two-run homer, quite like he did two weeks ago against Hickory, and the Power beat the Legends 4-2. Lexington scored their only two runs of the game on Mitch Einertson?s single in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Will Lewis knocked in the first Power run of the game on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Power tied the game at 2-2 on Braun?s RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with Iribarren on first base and one out, Braun hit his eighth home run of the season with the Power, and his second walk-off home run of the season. Grant Richardson went 0 for 3 in the game, but he did draw a walk, marking the 31st straight game that he has reached base safely. Braun?s walk-off homer marked the fifth time the Power have won on a walk-off home run this season. Ben Stanczyk (5-2) earned the victory, and Ryan Thompson (3-6) obtained the loss. The Power are 26-21 in the second half after the win and the Legends move to 25-22 with the loss. The Power will conclude the four game series with Lexington on Sunday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. The Power will throw RHP Kevin Roberts (1-1, 4.50) and Lexington will counter with right-handed pitcher Juan Gutierrez (8-4, 2.86). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM (1:05 Central). ***Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2005081337 Power wins on Braun?s walk-off homer By Jay Srinivasan For the Charleston Gazette Tired of all the wasted opportunities, Ryan Braun decided to take matters into his own hands. Braun slammed a two-run homer and had three RBIs to lead the West Virginia Power to a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over the Lexington Legends in front of 4,204 paid fans at Appalachian Power Park Saturday night. ?You always envision yourself with an opportunity to win the game,? said Braun. ?It was a great team effort and fortunately we came out on top.? Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, leadoff hitter Charlie Fermaint struck out and Hernan Iribarren walked. Braun then connected to left on a 1-0 pitch off closer Ryan Thompson to send the crowd roaring and spark wild celebrations among the Power players. ?I had faced the pitcher before. He had great stuff,? said Braun. ?And he actually threw me a pretty good pitch. I knew we had a really fast runner at first, and I knew as long as I made solid contact, we are going to have an opportunity to score.? Earlier, West Virginia missed two great chances to get the go-ahead run with runners in scoring position. Down 2-1 in the sixth, Iribarren walked and Braun hit a double to tie the score. After Braun moved to third on a fielder?s choice, an intentional walk and a wild pitch helped Carlos Corporan reach second. But Angel Salome struck out to finish the inning. In the seventh, Josh Murray and Hasan Rasheed led off with consecutive walks. Two outs later, reliever Jamie Gant intentionally walked Braun to load the bases. But Gant forced Grant Richardson into a ground out to close the inning. ?We wasted so many opportunities from the sixth inning on, I said, ?Oh my Lord, how many more we are gonna miss,? ? said the Power manager Ramon Aviles. ?But Braun came through again.? The Legends jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against a shaky Mark Rogers. Drew Sutton and Bryan Triplett started off with singles and Justin Humphries walked to load the bases. Mitch Einertson then hit a single to right to score Sutton and Triplett. Next up, Ryan Reed walked to load the bases again. But Rogers pitched out of the jam, first striking out Lou Santangelo and then forcing Edwin Maysonet to fly out. ?Rogers kept his composure to pitch out of the jam,? said Power pitching coach Jim Rooney. ?That was some of the best that I have seen from him all year.? West Virginia got on board in the bottom of the fourth. Braun doubled, moved to third on a fielder?s choice and scored when Corporan singled to center. Power closer Ben Stanczyk (5-2) got the win after pitching a perfect ninth inning. For the Legends, Thompson (3-6) took the loss after yielding two earned runs, four hits and one walk, while striking out three. The Power plays the last of its four-game home series against the Legends today. The Power will throw right-handed pitcher Kevin Roberts (1-1, 4.50) and Lexington will counter with right-hander Juan Gutierrez (8-4, 2.86). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m (1:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Not to be overlooked is Derek DeCarlo's stellar middle relief work; shortstop Alcides Escobar hurting? Misses his second straight game... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Helena 5, Idaho Falls (Royals) 3 Back on track... Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...405_03.txt Brewers outduel Chukars for win By JOSH JORDAN - IR Sports Writer Helena's game with Idaho Falls lacked some of the offensive firepower the Brewers have shown this season, but none of the excitement as the home team pulled out a 5-3 win over the Chukars in front of 907 fans at Kindrick Legion Field on Saturday night. Helena starter Ryan Marion pitched five innings and allowed just one run and Will Inman improved to 5-0 on the year with 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief as four Brewers' pitchers outdueled the Chukars with a five-hitter. "They did an excellent job throwing strikes and the defense played well behind them," Helena manager Ed Sedar said. "The outfielders made a few big plays." The Brewers (11-2) overcame an early deficit, a costly error and a solid pitching performance by the visitors to end a two-game skid after opening the second half of the Pioneer League season with 10 straight wins. Helena's high-powered offense has led the Brewers at the top of the Pioneer League standings all season, but Saturday's clutch plays were more mild ? and just as effective. The Brewers broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth on a pair of infield singles and a two-run bloop single by Mat Gamel. Idaho Falls (6-8) tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh but Helena scored the winning run in the bottom of the frame when Michael Bell drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Darren Ford who had walked to start the inning. Gamel scored on a wild pitch moments later to give the game its final score. While the Brewers have happily relied on their offense this season, the small-ball style win ? keyed by solid pitching and defense and timely hitting ? shows the club can win in other ways. "We're going to have to continue to pitch well," Sedar said. "Our defense has been playing a lot better of late and they're going to have to continue to do that as well." Ford made an over-the-shoulder catch running away from home plate at the warning track in center field to rob Andrew Larson of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning. Ryan Crew got the second out of the sixth with a sliding catch in left field that held a runner at first as the Brewers defense came through in the clutch. Marion's only blemish came on the fourth pitch of the game when leadoff hitter Ethien Santana lined a home run over the right field wall. Marion didn't let the early deficit get to him, however, as he allowed just two more hits and a walk with five strikeouts in his five innings of work. Kenny Holmberg got the Brewers on the board in the third when he pulled a Ryan DePietro pitch down the left field line and over the wall for his eighth home run of the season. Crew and Ford legged out infield singles to open fifth and scored on Gamel's hit that landed between three Chukars in shallow left-center field to make it 3-1. Idaho Falls tied the game in the seventh thanks in part to a two-base error on a high throw from Gamel that glanced off first baseman Ned Yost's glove to put Brenan Herrera at second base with one out. Josh Johnson drove in Herrera with a single to to right field and the Chukars went on to load the bases. The tying run scored when Inman hit Brady Everett with the bases loaded to bring in Johnson. But the Brewers answered in the bottom of the frame and Inman struck out a pair of Chukars in a scoreless eighth. Dane Renkert struck out two in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season. The two teams meet again tonight at 5:05 p.m. (6:05 Central). ***Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...405_01.txt Got fans? By JOSH JORDAN - IR Sports Writer The Helena Brewers have blasted past the mid-way point of the 2005 Pioneer League season. The Brewers used the league's most potent offense and a strong pitching staff to win the North Division's first half title and the party hasn't stopped as a reworked lineup - five players were called up to class-A West Virginia in late July - opened the second half with 10 straight wins. Helena is now 11-2 and holds a six game lead over three teams tied for second in the north division. The Brewers' 35-16 record, a .686 winning percentage, puts them on pace for one of the best records in franchise history. Helena leads the Pioneer League in team batting (.325), home runs (67) and ERA (4.01), and is second in stolen bases (76) and strike outs (423). Brewers are packed atop the individual league leaders in every major statistical category, especially on offense where Helena has looked to be in a league of its own. Despite these gaudy numbers, Helena's attendance numbers are only slightly higher than they were a season ago, and are lower than they were in 2003. Helena is the smallest market in the Pioneer League, but with such a prolific offensive team and the league's best record it's hard to believe that the Brewers rank last in the league in attendance. After 26 home games this season, the Brewers are averaging a paltry 1,079 fans a game. That is 227 fewer than Casper which ranks seventh in attendance in the eight-team league. Ogden and Billings, both teams in much larger markets, are averaging 3,647 and 2,883 fans a night respectively. Things were picking up in Helena over the first two games of the Brewers' current seven-game homestand. Kindrick Legion field hosted 1,213 fans for the first game and 1,647 for game two. But temperatures in the low 50's kept fans away from the third game and the Brewers played Casper in front of a season-low 517 fans on Friday night. Saturday's attendance was a modest 907. The low numbers is nothing new in Helena which has traditionally been near the bottom of the league in attendance. In 2001 just 21,063 fans came to the ballpark to watch the Brewers. That played a role in the franchise moving in 2002 when the affiliation changed from the Brewers to the Angels and the club moved to Provo, Utah, where 51,919 fans came out in 2001 and 55,050 in 2002. But owner D.G. Elmore and the Elmore Sports Group brought professional baseball back in 2003 when the current Brewers franchise left Medicine Hat for Montana's Capital City. The return of professional baseball and a division-winning team brought in 47,493 fans in the first season back, still last in the league, but a respectable number. Last year, however, the Brewers brought in a league-low 37,568 fans in 37 home dates - an average of just over 1,000 a game. But it appears local baseball fans need not worry about the Brewers pulling up roots in search of greener pastures. General Manager Paul Fetz said the Brewers have had success in Helena's small market in the past and thinks that trend will continue. "We've been successful every single year with what we've been able to get and I see us going in the same direction this year," he said. Part of the low average attendance this season can be explained by an opening homestand that had a rain-out and three more games affected by poor weather. The average attendance for the series was just 770 fans. The numbers have also plummeted with the drop in temperatures in recent days. "You always want more people, but we're not really disappointed in the numbers," Fetz said. "The difference between this year and last year is that opening weekend. That's the difference and it is beyond our control." The Brewers have had home games when big events, such as the Last Chance Stampede and the Mount Helena Music Festival, were taking place. The outdoor recreational opportunities that abound in Montana are also a draw that the Brewers must compete with. "There's a plethora of activities to do in this area," Fetz said. "There's all this stuff going on when we have games, especially on weekends. There are a lot of other activities for people to do in this market and I think a lot of people diversify." There is more to running a financially successful baseball team than ticket sales. The Brewers have a favorable lease with the city through the 2006 season and Fetz thinks the relationship is working for both sides. "I think we've got a very solid relationship with the fans that we have, as well as the city," he said. "We probably have one of the better leases in all of minor league baseball so why would we want to walk away from either of those items?" That's not to say there aren't other options for the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league affiliate. There are many cities throughout the region that might like a professional baseball team. Some, like Pocatello, Idaho, have had Pioneer League teams in the past, others are itching to get one. Last year the team in Provo moved to nearby Orem and became the Owlz. While the management wanted to stay in the same area of Utah - Orem and Provo are less than 80 miles apart - there was interest from cities in Colorado, Idaho and Utah about acquiring the franchise. "There are definitely some cities within the Pioneer League boundaries that would love a team," Orem General Manager Ryan Pace said. "Some of them have had a team before and some would love to have one for the first time." But it appears that cities interested in a Pioneer League team will have to look to other teams at least through next season. And a growing fan base with a successful team could go a long way in keeping the Brewers in town for years to stay. "In the meetings we've had with the Elmore Group, I think they're happy with the city and the city is certainly happy with them," Helena City Manager Tim Burton said. "It's been a good partnership." Helena Box Score: Looks like the Brewer error mentioned above was charged to Yost, not Gamel... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Jon Ebelt IR Staff Photographer - Empty seats at this weeks Brewers game contributes to Helena ranking last in season attendance so far this year. The Brewers only average 1,079 fans a game, even as the team continues to dominate the Pioneer League in offense statistics. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2005/08/14/sports_top/b01081405_01.jpg

Nashville Media Notes for Saturday (PDF format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf By the way, Corey Hart not in the lineup tonight...hmmmm..... Nashville Pre-Game Audio with RHP Clint Weibl: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-13.mp3

Final: Arizona Brewers 12, Arizona Angels 10 Weather: 101 degrees, clear. Wind: 0 mph, None. T: 2:35. Att: 25. Arizona Box Score: It's pretty apparent that the pitchers that have earned trips to Helena (Parillo, Kretzschmar) have already been moved, while several of these Arizona bats would probably fare just fine in the Pioneer League... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1 Arizona Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 68 52 .567 - 31-29 37-23 W5[/b] Memphis 58 61 .487 9.5 30-31 28-30 L1 Omaha 58 62 .483 10.0 26-30 32-32 W2 Iowa 55 61 .474 11.0 36-27 19-34 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 29 16 .644 - 17-10 12-6 L1 West Tenn 26 21 .553 4.0 12-10 14-11 L4 Tennessee 21 26 .447 9.0 11-11 10-15 W1 [b]Huntsville 20 27 .426 10.0 8-15 12-12 L2[/b] Chattanooga 17 30 .362 13.0 10-16 7-14 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vero Beach 31 16 .660 - 17-8 14-8 W1 Palm Beach 28 21 .571 4.0 13-12 15-9 L1 [b]Brevard County 27 21 .563 4.5 11-13 16-8 L1[/b] St. Lucie 26 22 .542 5.5 11-12 15-10 W1 Daytona 21 26 .447 10.0 13-12 8-14 L1 Jupiter 17 29 .370 13.5 12-11 5-18 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 30 16 .652 - 17-3 13-13 W1 Hickory 27 19 .587 3.0 15-10 12-9 W1 Lexington 25 21 .543 5.0 16-11 9-10 L1 [b]West Virginia 25 21 .543 5.0 13-10 12-11 W1[/b] Lake County 20 24 .455 9.0 9-12 11-12 L1 Lakewood 21 26 .447 9.5 13-12 8-14 W1 Greensboro 20 27 .426 10.5 8-13 12-14 L1 Hagerstown 14 29 .326 14.5 5-12 9-17 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Helena 10 2 .833 - 4-2 6-0 L2[/b] Billings 4 8 .333 6.0 1-3 3-5 L1 Great Falls 4 8 .333 6.0 2-4 2-4 L2 Missoula 4 8 .333 6.0 3-5 1-3 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 8 4 .667 - 3-3 5-1 L2 AZL Mariners 8 4 .667 - 4-2 4-2 W1 AZL Athletics 8 6 .571 1.0 6-2 2-4 L2 [b]AZL Brewers 6 5 .545 1.5 2-4 4-1 W1[/b] AZL Royals 6 5 .545 1.5 4-2 2-3 W4 AZL Rangers 7 6 .538 1.5 4-3 3-3 W2 AZL Angels 5 8 .385 3.5 1-1 4-7 L1 AZL Padres 4 8 .333 4.0 1-6 3-2 L2 AZL Cubs 3 9 .250 5.0 1-6 2-3 L1Stats and League Leaders, USA Today (or go to MILB.com): www.usatoday.com/sports/b.../index.htm

Links to follow Saturday's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Arizona: Not updated live, but usually later during the overnight... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_giarok_1

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times Central except for Arizona Rookie; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Jeff Housman at Memphis (Cardinals), 5:45 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ If that link is down for bandwidth, use: specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml Brevard County: RHP Forrest Martin at home vs. St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM; no audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Lexington (Astros), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: TBD at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 8:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.ifchukars.com/home/default.asp Arizona: TBD at the Giants' complex vs. the rookie San Francisco kids, 7:00 PM local time; never any web audio for Arizona Rookie ball...

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Nothing yet to report on Arizona from Friday...

Link while active, text follows: www.commercialappeal.com/...64,00.html Sounds pitching cools off Redbirds 5th straight win helps Nashville extend lead By Jim Masilak, Memphis Commercial Appeal Ben Hendrickson has had an up-and-down couple of years, but the Redbirds would never have guessed as much Friday night. The International League's Most Valuable Pitcher last season, with an 11-3 record and 2.02 ERA at Indianapolis, Hendrickson was a miserable 1-8 with a 6.22 ERA in 10 games with the Milwaukee Brewers. Having struggled with his mechanics for much of this season at Nashville, Hendrickson came into Friday's game against Memphis with a 5-9 record and 4.81 ERA that belied his status as one of the Brewers' top prospects. "I'm not comfortable with myself. I'm trying to work through some mechanical things and keep my arm at the same angle," Hendrickson said. "Tonight it was at the same angle and I threw well. I tend to get my arm way up top and they want it at three-quarters because it makes my fastball run and my change and curve are better. "It helps a lot to go out there and know I can throw all three pitches, be in command and keep pounding the strike zone." A revitalized Hendrickson (6-9) allowed just three singles in seven shutout innings Friday as the Sounds beat the Redbirds, 8-2, before an announced crowd of 10,067 at AutoZone Park. "He sure didn't struggle tonight," Redbirds manager Danny Sheaffer said. "I don't care what kind of game plan we had tonight, we weren't gonna beat him." Prince Fielder hit his 26th home run of the season in the fifth -- one of three homers in the inning for Nashville against 'Birds starter Kevin Jarvis -- to lead the Sounds' 14-hit attack against a Redbirds team plummeting out of the playoff hunt. Nashville (68-52) won its season-best fifth game in a row. In so doing, the Sounds extended their commanding lead over the 'Birds in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern Division to 9 1/2 games. "They played like a club that's in first place and they want to keep it," Sheaffer said. "We're not planning to just go home. But we need to start playing like it means something, because it means something to me." Aiming for his team-leading 11th win of the season, Jarvis gave up three fifth-inning homers, including a towering solo drive to right by Fielder, the son of former big-league slugger Cecil Fielder. Tony Zuniga and Mike Rivera launched back-to-back homers onto the bluff in left later in the inning as the Sounds took a 6-0 lead over the punchless 'Birds (58-61), who have dropped five of their last six at home. While Jarvis (10-4) was roughed up for the second time in as many starts, Hendrickson had his best outing of the season. Outfielder Chad Allen, recently acquired from the Texas Rangers organization and making his Redbirds debut, accounted for one of his team's three hits against Hendrickson with a second-inning single. Fielder went 2-for-4 with a single and homer and is now 22-for-44 (.500) in his last 11 games.

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...305_05.txt Rockies oust Brewers By JOSH JORDAN - IR Sports Writer The Casper Rockies came to Helena and did what few teams have managed this season, taking two straight games from the Brewers with a 7-4 win on a cold night at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning before Casper closer Andrew Johnston came in to slam the door. Johnston, who entered the game with a 0.83 ERA and a league-best 12 saves, got Freddy Parejo to pop out to second base, struck out Michael Bell and got Kenny Holmberg on a groundout to third to get out of the jam. Johnston pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save and lowered his ERA to 0.76. "He threw the ball very well," Helena pitching coach Mark Littell said. "He's very talented and he went for the kill and got it." The eighth wasn't the only opportunity lost on the Brewers as they left 11 runners on base in the game. Helena also left the bases loaded in the first ? after an RBI double by Mat Gamel scored Holmberg to tie the game at 1-1 ? and left runners on base in each inning but the second, third and ninth. The victory gave Casper a 2-1 series win in the battle of Pioneer League division leaders. "This is a good ball club, you can't make many mistakes against them," Casper skipper P.J. Carey said about the Brewers. "But we came in and outplayed them overall in the series I thought." Casper broke a 4-4 tie with two outs in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Chris Cook. It was Cook's second two-run shot in as many games and came on the first pitch he saw from Helena reliever Joe Thatcher. The blast brought in Corey Wimberley from second base and put the Rockies on top 6-4. Cook hit a two-run home run in the first inning of Casper's 6-2 win on Thursday. The Grand Canyon Community College product went 5-for-7 with six RBI in the Rockies' two victories to end the series. "He's had a great series," Casper manager Carey said. "The home run he had (Thursday) night set the tone early for us and after they came back and tied it (Friday night) he did it again. He hit that one tonight a ton and brought the tone back over to our clubhouse." Cook's heroics stole the momentum away from the Brewers after they had scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. Darren Ford's two-out line-drive single to center field scored Ned Yost and Ryan Crew to knot the game at 4-4. Dexter Fowler made a diving attempt at the ball in center but field umpire Justin Moore ruled he trapped the ball, allowing the runs to score. Carey was ejected from the game for arguing the call, leaving hitting coach Tony Diaz to manage the club. Casper sandwiched Helena's first-inning run with one in the first and second. Eric Young hit a one-out triple to left field in the first and scored on a sacrifice by Cook, and Fowler doubled with one out in the second and scored on a ground out by Bret Berglund to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead. The visitors, who lead the Pioneer League North Division with a 9-4 record, made it 3-1 top of the fourth when Berglund was caught in a pickle between first and second, allowing Cole Garner to score from third. The Rockies may have gotten more in the inning if not for a stellar defensive play by Bell. The Helena third baseman dove to his left to stop Berglund's hard-hit grounder to the left side and threw out Steven Suarez at second base to turn what looked like a RBI single into a fielder's choice out. Agustin Septimo got a one-out hit in the fifth and scored on a throwing by Casper shortstop Radames Nazario trying to throw out Yost at first base. Casper took a 4-2 lead with a run in the top of the sixth before the Brewers were able to tie it on Ford's two-run single. Helena will stay at home as they open a four-game series with Idaho Falls tonight at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central). Jon Ebelt IR Staff Photographer - Helena first baseman Ned Yost IV, left, reaches back to make a difficult catch while recording an out on Casper's Corey Wimberly Friday at Kindrick Legion Field. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2005/08/13/sports/b01081305_05.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2005081251 Power gets long ball, solid pitching in 6-1 win By Jay Srinivasan For the Charleston Gazette The West Virginia Power exacted swift revenge on the Lexington Legends. After getting mauled 12-1 Thursday, West Virginia returned the favor Friday night, trouncing the Legends 6-1 in front of 4,711 paid fans at Appalachian Power Park. Charlie Fermaint and Carlos Corporan homered and Derek Miller pitched five strong innings in his first start to move the Power within four games of division-leading Delmarva in the South Atlantic League?s Northern Division. Power manager Ramon Aviles credited his pitchers for the win. ?We got great pitching today,? said Aviles. ?Miller did an outstanding job.? Down 4-0, the Legends threatened to rally in the top of the fifth. Ole Sheldon and Drew Sutton led off with consecutive singles and Mitch Einertson walked to load the bases. Francisco Caraballo then blasted a single to center to score Sheldon, and Sutton scrambled from second to reach home but got tagged out by catcher Angel Salome just before he reached the plate. One out later, Bryan Triplett walked to load the bases again. Miller pitched his way out of the jam by forcing Edwin Maysonet to ground out. Miller (1-0) allowed only four hits, one earned run and struck out six for the win. For the Legends, starter Evan Englebrook (7-5) took the loss after yielding eight hits and three earned runs in five innings. ?It felt good. Kinda like a weight off my shoulders,? said Miller. ?It wasn?t very pretty in the last inning. I was elevating the ball and any time that happens you are in some big trouble. But I got the job done.? Reliever Robert Hinton pitched four shutout innings, giving up no hits while striking out six for his 12th save. He retired the batters in order in three of those innings. ?We hit both sides of the plate very good, pitched ahead and that?s what you need to do,? said Aviles. ?Hinton did it like he had been doing it all year.? Leading 1-0 after three innings, the Power got a lucky break in the top of the fourth. After Josh Murray singled with one out, Hasan Rasheed bounced the ball straight to shortstop Maysonet. Trying to make a double play, second baseman Sutton took his eye off Maysonet?s backhanded throw, allowing Murray and Rasheed to reach. Next up, Fermaint made the Legends pay for their mistake by walloping a three-run round-tripper to right. ?That was the difference in the ballgame,? said Aviles. ?You?ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.? In the sixth, Rasheed doubled and Hernan Iribarren followed with a triple to extend the Power lead to 5-1. A seventh-inning homer by Corporan put West Virginia on top 6-1. The Power plays the third of its four-game home series against the Legends tonight. West Virginia will throw right-hander Mark Rogers (1-7, 4.70) and Lexington will counter with righty Ronnie Martinez (9-3, 4.21). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 (6:05 Central). By the way, nice job on the eve of his 21st birthday on Saturday, Robert Hinton -- Mass Haas

Brevard County Site Doubleheader Summary: Manatees Split Two With St. Lucie The Manatees took game one in Friday night's doubleheader 7-4, but were unable to complete the sweep of the St. Lucie Mets, losing the second game 5-2. In the first game, the Manatees got on the board early, scoring five runs in the second inning. With two outs, walks to Nestor Corredor and Steve Sollmann, and a single by Travis Ezi would load the bases. Steve Moss's double to left would plate Corredor and Sollmann and advance Ezi to third. Next batter, Drew Anderson would drive in Ezi and Moss to make it 4-1 Manatees. Another double, this time by Adam Heether, would score the final run of the inning and put the Manatees up by four. Moss would end up going 3-4 with two runs and two RBI's for the night. By the end of the night, Anderson upped his batting average to a team leading .307 thanks to his 2-4 performance and two RBI's from game one. Manatees starter Carlos Villaneuva (6IP, 4ER, 6H, 2BB, 6K) pitched six solid innings en route to his eighth win of the season, while Nic Slack picked up his fifth save after working a perfect seventh inning. The second game was a reversal of fortune for the Manatees. After allowing five runs in the first game of the night, the Mets returned the favor in game two, touching up Manatees starter Ken Durost for five runs in the second inning. Durost (4IP, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K) would settle down after the inning to throw two scoreless innings. Reliever Bo Hall (3IP, 0ER, 2H, 3K) came on to pitch the final three innings, not surrendering another run. The Manatees bats were silenced by Mets starter Maldonado Oquendo (5IP, 0ER, 2H, 4K) for the first five innings of the game, before finally breaking through for two runs in the sixth. A Sollmann sacrifice fly would plate the first run of the game after an Ezi leadoff triple. Heether's RBI double to score Anderson would cap off the scoring for the night, and send the Manatees home with a doubleheader split. With the split, the Manatees fell to 4.5 games behind leader Vero Beach for the race for first in the East Division. The Manatees look to close the gap tomorrow night against the St. Lucie Mets at 7:00 (6:00 Central). The Manatees will be honoring the Negro Leagues at Space Coast Stadium tomorrow night. The first 1000 fans through the gates will receive a free poster of Negro League legend, Doc Graham. Doc Graham will also be on hand at the ballpark to sign autographs and answer any fan questions.

Final: Casper (Rockies) 7, Helena 4 Yeah, these guys are bums (sarcasm alert)... Weather: 52 degrees, overcast. Wind: 10 mph, R to L. I would give anything for an evening with weather like that this summer... Helena Box Score: Every Rockie with at least one base hit; tie game until the 8th; catcher Brad Willcutt throws out two of three runners attempting to steal; we've said it before a dozen times this season -- what is with all the pickoffs in these minor league games -- players are still obviously picking up the nuances of reading moves off the mound; www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: With Radames Nazario batting, Bret Berglund picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Tyler Morrison to second baseman Kenneth Holmberg to first baseman Ned YostIV to shortstop Ryan Crew to second baseman Kenneth Holmberg to first baseman Ned YostIV, Cole Garner scores. -- the game log guy earned his money with that one notation... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Missed Opportunities Costly to Stars in SetbackChris Young homered and collected three hits and Pedro Lopez knocked in what turned out to be the go-ahead run in Birmingham?s 5-3 victory over Huntsville Friday night in the second game of a four-game set at the Hoover Met. The Barons won their fourth straight game to improve to 28-15 in the second half and maintained their game and a half lead over victorious Jacksonville in the South Division, while the Stars lost for a seventh time in eight games to drop to 20-27 in the second half. The Barons have won seven of the nine games played between the two teams, including four of five in Birmingham. B.J. LaMura opened the ninth inning on the hill for Birmingham, trying to earn his first save of the season. Guilder Rodriguez and Tony Gwynn, Jr. walked with one out before Nelson Castro doubled to left field to score Rodriguez, move Gwynn to third and trim the Barons lead to 5-3. Castro became the first Huntsville player to double three times in a game this year and joined Enrique Cruz and Brad Nelson as the only Stars to collect three extra base hits in a game. La Mura was replaced by southpaw Corwin Malone, who walked Vinny Rottino to load the bases. Nelson lined out to shallow left field on the first pitch he saw for the second out of the inning and Cruz lined out to right field on a 3-2 pitch to end the game. Malone earned his first save in 15 appearances in relief. The Stars scored in the first inning for a second straight night on a sacrifice fly by Nelson that plated Castro, who had doubled and moved to third on a Rottino single. Gwynn doubled with one out in the third and scored when Castro followed with his second two-bagger of the game. Ty Taubenheim blanked the home side on two singles through the first three frames before the Barons tallied three times in the fourth to take the lead for good. Young led off with a single and moved to third on a one-out double by Josh Fields and stayed there when Ryan Sweeney walked to load the bases. Jonathan Aceves, who just rejoined the Barons yesterday from triple-A Charlotte, singled into center field to plate Young and Fields to tie the game at two. Andy Gonzalez struck out for the second out of the frame but Lopez, who started Birmingham?s 10-run eighth inning rally on Thursday with a leadoff double, singled into left field to chase home Sweeney to make it 3-2 Barons. The Stars had runners at first and second base with two outs in the sixth inning but could not score and runners at first and second base with one out in the seventh inning but Nik Lubisich came out of the bullpen to retire Castro and Rottino to end the inning. Heath Phillips earned his eighth win of the season and second over the Stars after allowing two runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings. The missed opportunities would prove costly when Young clubbed a two-run home run in the seventh, his 21st of the season, to push the home team?s lead to 5-2. Taubenheim would be taken out after walking Casey Rogowski, the next hitter, and suffered the loss to drop to 1-4. Callix Crabbe then grounded into a double play with runners at first and second base to end the eighth inning against Dwayne Pollok. The series continues Saturday night with Stars right-hander Dennis Sarfate taking the mound against Birmingham right-hander Charlie Haeger. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:45 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 5, Huntsville 3 Huntsville Box Score: The Stars did draw their walks (six), but stranded 11; it was unrealistic to expect Ty Taubenheim to continue his dominance during his first taste of AA -- lots of fly balls lately against Ty, 12 in this one; boy, does this group miss Nelson Cruz' thunder... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Brad Nelson and Enrique Cruz fail in the 9th with the tying runs in scoring position and the go-ahead run at first -- gee, kind of like the Miller Park 8th inning tonight, but not via strikeout; Stars grounded into three excruciating double plays... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

Final, Game Two: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 2 Brevard County Game Two Box Score: So far, hardly any walks drawn on the farm tonight, even in the victories -- none here; most staffs will struggle when doubleheaders require they dip for that sixth starter... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_2 Brevard County Game Two Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_2

Final, Game One: Brevard County 7, St. Lucie (Mets) 4 Brevard County Game One Box Score: Steve Moss, Drew Anderson, and Steve Sollman with nice nights; this just in -- Carlos Villanueva still hasn't turned 22 yet (November)... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game One Game Log: These Mets have a Piazza as well? www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Final: West Virginia 6, Lexington (Astros) 1 OK, if not the Sounds, then how about we just swap all these guys for the boys in Milwaukee? West Virginia Site Game Summary: Miller and Hinton toss gem in Power winCharleston, WV ? Derek Miller started Friday night?s game against the Lexington Legends, tossing five strong innings and Robert Hinton followed Miller with four scoreless innings providing the Power with a 6-1 victory at Appalachian Power Park. Hasan Rasheed snapped a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single. The Power took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on Charlie Fermaint?s three-run homer, his fourth with the Power. Lexington scored their only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single from Lou Santangelo. Hernan Iribarren knocked in Rasheed in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI triple. The Power scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on Carlos Corporan?s solo shot, his seventh of the year. Grant Richardson went 0 for 4 in the game, but he did reach base on an error, marking the 30th straight game that he has reached base safely. Miller (1-0) earned the victory, Hinton (12) earned the save and Evan Englebrook (7-5) obtained the loss. The Power are 25-21 in the second half after the win and the Legends move to 25-21 with the loss. The Power will continue the four game series with Lexington on Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park. The Power will throw RHP Mark Rogers (1-7, 4.70) and Lexington will counter with right-handed pitcher Ronnie Martinez (9-3, 4.21). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: If you follow the draft forum, we had been telling you about 2004 draft-and-follow southpaw Derek Miller for months prior to his signing; Ryan Braun with another error at third -- he'll be fine; having Hasan Rasheed hit 9th provides some nice back-to-back-to-back-to-back speed combinations with the Hurricane and Alcides Escobar (who had the night off)... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Angel Salome picks off a man at first base in the 3rd... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio with RHP Jeff Bennett: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-12.mp3

Final: Nashville 8, Memphis (Cardinals) 2 How about we just swap all these guys for the boys in Milwaukee? Would that count as just one transaction? Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Ben Hendrickson photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1743 MEMPHIS ? The division-leading Nashville Sounds extended their longest winning streak of the season to five games with an 8-2 victory over the second-place Memphis Redbirds on Friday evening at Auto Zone Park in the opener of a four-game series. With the win, Nashville (68-52) extended its lead to a season-best 9 ½ games over the Redbirds and improved to 16 games over .500, the club?s highest standing this season, as the Sounds were victorious for the eighth time in nine games on their current road trip. Nashville starter Ben Hendrickson (6-9) was masterful, limiting Memphis to three hits over seven scoreless frames while striking out eight to earn the victory. Every Nashville position player in the lineup recorded a hit by the sixth inning as the Sounds posted a double-digit hit total (14) for the fifth consecutive contest. Six of the eight starters posted a multiple-hit effort for Nashville, led by Tony Zuniga?s 2-for-4, three-RBI effort. The Sounds have scored eight runs in each of their victories during the club?s five-game winning streak. All-Star outfielder Corey Hart stole a pair of bases in the top of the first inning to assume the Pacific Coast League lead with a career-best 31 thefts. Nashville finished the evening with a season-high five swipes. Hart gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the third when he plated Warren Morris, who led off the frame with a triple to center, with an RBI fielder?s choice to third. Morris? triple extended the second baseman?s season-best hitting streak to nine games. Prince Fielder (2-for-4) followed by extending his hitting streak to eight games with a single up the middle before Zuniga upped his season-best streak to nine games with a one-out RBI single to center that drove in Hart for a 2-0 lead. Fielder ? who is batting .500 (22-for-44) in the month of August ? led off the fifth inning with his team-leading 26th home run of the season, a solo shot off former Sound Kevin Jarvis that barely cleared the right field wall. The blast tied the first baseman for 2nd in the PCL in longballs and moved him into a tie for the 8th-best single-season roundtripper output in the Sounds? 28-year franchise history, matching J.J. Davis? 2003 effort. After Nelson Cruz singled, Zuniga crushed a two-run homer to left-center off Jarvis, his seventh of the year, to extend the Nashville lead to 5-0. Catcher Mike Rivera, who earlier extended his hitting streak to a season-best seven games, followed with a solo shot to the same spot, his 14th tater of the year. The backstop has homered in three straight games for the second time this season and has gone deep in four of his last five games. Zuniga and Rivera?s jacks were the third set of back-to-back homers produced by Sounds hitters this season; all three sets have occurred in the last 15 games. The Sounds offense kept going in the sixth, upping the lead to 7-0 against Jarvis. Hart led off with a single to center and scored on Cruz?s one-out RBI double into the left field corner, which chased the right-hander from the ballgame. Center fielder Dave Krynzel, who went 2-for-5 on the evening to extend the Sounds? longest active hit streak to 11 games, belted his ninth home run of the year in the top of the seventh, a solo shot to right off Redbirds reliever Josh Pearce. The homestanding Redbirds finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth against Sounds reliever Mike Adams, who was making his first appearance in nearly a month after being activated from the disabled list prior to the game. With one out, Bo Hart singled then scored on Reggie Taylor?s RBI triple to center. Taylor scored Memphis? second run of the frame on a John Gall groundout. Jarvis (10-4) absorbed the loss after surrendering season-high totals of seven runs and 12 hits in his 5 1/3 frames. The teams play game two of the series at 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday evening. Left-hander Jeff Housman (5-10, 5.72) will start for Nashville and face Redbirds southpaw Chris Narveson, who will make his first PCL start of the season after joining Memphis from the Boston Red Sox organization (4-5, 4.77 ERA in 21 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket). Nashville Box Score: Corey Hart 31-of-38 in the stolen base department -- don't look now, but he's sneaking towards PCL MVP consideration... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1

Catcher Clay Blevins has been transferred from Helena up to Brevard County. The Manatees have Lou Palmisano, Nestor Corredor, and C.J. Medlin, who is sidelined with an arm injury. Not sure if anything happened to Palmisano or Corredor that prompted this move. Given that it's Brevard County, and there's no media coverage, we'll have to rely on an update from someone associated with the 'Tees. This leaves the catching duties in Helena solely to Brad Willcutt and Bryan Opdyke.

MILB.com has updated their "Top 50 Prospects" list -- three Brewers make the cut: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...?content=1

Nashville Media Notes for Friday (PDF format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf