Jim Goulart

Fielder was not in the lineup yesterday either. Hopefully something minor. Is something wrong with Krynzel or is he catching a plane to St. Louis? From the Tennessean: Sick bay: Prince Fielder (right elbow contusion) and Sounds outfielder Dave Krynzel (right foot tendinitis) were held out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game yesterday. Both are listed as day-to-day. Nashville was also without reliever Jeff Bennett, who was ill and not at the park Sunday.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=42931 ?Topes topple Sounds again By Nate Rau, nrau@nashvillecitypaper.com The pesky Albuquerque Isotopes won their third straight at Greer Stadium, downing the retreating Nashville Sounds 5-2 Sunday. With second-place Memphis set to invade Music City for a four-game set today, the Sounds find themselves in a good old-fashioned pennant race for the PCL American Northern Division. Nashville?s lead is down to three games after a Memphis win Sunday. When the Redbirds square off against Nashville tonight, they?ll be facing a team reverting to some of its nasty old habits. The Sounds, whose losing streak is at three games, did not display their best glove work Sunday. Two Sounds errors led to two unearned runs for starter Gary Glover. Offensively, the team was no better. Nashville (52-43) left ten runners on base and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Nashville didn?t get on the board until ninth inning, when Prince Fielder, who did not start the game, blasted a two-run homer. An angry Sounds manager Frank Kremblas was especially upset about his team?s plate approach. ?We?ve got to do better than the (expletive) ninth inning when we?re down five to (expletive) nothing,? Kremblas said. ?I don?t know if we?re paying attention. Their [starting pitcher Jeff Fulchino] did the same sequence eight or nine times. ?You?d hope after [four] days off, you?d come back refreshed mentally. Other than not paying attention [i don?t know what we?re doing differently offensively].? Derek Wathan continued to be a thorn in the side of Sounds pitchers. After hitting the game-winning home run Saturday night, Wathan homered in his first at-bat Sunday ? a two-run shot in the second. The Isotopes (52-43) added a run in the third and two more in the sixth inning for the Sounds. After the sixth, Albuquerque had built its lead to 5-0. Glover (2-1) didn?t pitch poorly for the Sounds. He went six innings, allowing five runs, three earned en route to his first loss of the season. Glover?s counterpart, Fulchino (7-6), scattered six hits over 5.2 innings for Albuquerque. Subbing in center field, Ryan Knox went 3-for-5 leading off for the Sounds. Fielder?s homer was his second since being back from Milwaukee two weeks ago.

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...805_01.txt Brewers unable to pick up win By KEVIN SHIVELY - IR Sports Writer It would have been a stretch to do it twice. For the second time in their three-game home series with the Orem Owlz, the Helena Brewers found themselves in a deep hole. The only difference is that this time the first-place team wasn't able to dig itself out. The Brewers were able to manage a comeback from a seven-run deficit to win on Friday, but lost to the Owlz 13-8 on Sunday. There were a few players who didn't go quietly. With two outs in the ninth, Matt Gamel homered, doing his part at narrowing the lead. Then Agustin Septimo doubled, giving the Brewers fans a little more hope, but was stranded on second when out three came. Gamel's home run wasn't the only trip to the plate he produced in. The third baseman was 4-for-5 in the game with a home run, a pair of doubles and a single. He tallied four RBI with the hits, all of which came with two outs. The Brewers tried a comeback, getting a run in each of the last three innings, but for each run they scored, Orem did as well. In fact, the Owlz scored in every inning but the second, collecting 17 hits on the way to their win with at least one from every player who stepped to the plate. Helena didn't exactly slouch on offense. The Brewers put up 16 hits including seven doubles. The game was tied at five apiece going into the fifth inning, but in the fifth, Billy Boyer sent a two-run shot over the fence and in the sixth Orem had four singles to drive in three more. Helena wasn't able to catch up. Timothy Didjurgis got his second win of the season for the Owlz. He came in in the fourth inning and allowed only one run and two hits in three and a third innings. Robbie Wooley (1-2) got his second loss on the mound for the Brewers. Helena will go on a seven-game road trip beginning tonight in Ogden to square off with the Raptors.

Thatcher gets call of a lifetime By Kokomo (Indiana) Tribune staff Monday, July 18, 2005 The Milwaukee Brewers dipped into the independent Frontier League and signed Kokomo's Joe Thatcher, the River City Rascals reported on their Web site Sunday. Thatcher, a left-handed pitcher who was in his second season with the Rascals, will report to Helena, Mont., to play for the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League, a high rookie league. "I am very excited and a little nervous but I can not wait to play for the Brewers." Thatcher said in a story on the Rascals' opening page. "Just the opportunity I have been given is a blessing and I am going to try and take full advantage of this chance." An all-star in the independent Frontier League this year, Thatcher pitched one inning in the league's all-star game and struck out the side. In his 18 appearances as the Rascals' closer, he had 27 strikeouts in 21 innings, and had a record of 4-2 with an ERA of 1.27. A 2000 Kokomo High School graduate, Thatcher played his college ball at Indiana State University. He becomes the second player from Howard County to play for the organization. At Helena, he'll join Taylor graduate Robbie Wooley. Thatcher is the first members of the Rascals to be signed by a Major League team this season. "I am really surprised Thatch has stayed here this long." Rascals manager Randy Martz said. "He is an extraordinary left-handed pitcher with great stuff; a guy that throws around 90 from the left side is a commodity that any team could use." *** August 2004 Article: Chasing a dream By JOHN DEMPSEY Kokomo Tribune sportswriter When Joe Thatcher packed his stuff into his car back in June, he didn't know if he'd be returning in a day or so, or whether he'd be gone until the fall semester of classes at Indiana State University began. A tryout with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League -- an independent baseball minor league -- led to a job as a left-handed pitcher with the O'Fallon, Mo., based team. "I just want to keep playing as long as I can," said Thatcher, a 2000 Kokomo High School graduate who played four years for the Sycamores. "Our assistant coach at ISU played here a couple years ago. He called the coach and they invited me to a tryout in early June. They kept me as one of the guys in the bullpen. "I came in as a left-handed specialist to start with. I did really well early and they moved me to setup and now, over the last week or so, I've been in a closer role. I've been called on in big situations. The coach is getting more confidence in me and I'm doing well." Thatcher's last outing was a particularly strong one. Entering in the eighth, he pitched the final two innings of a 10-6 victory over Rockford on Friday. Thatcher faced nine batters and allowed one hit and a walk while another reached on an error. The impressive part of the performance came from the six strikeouts he registered in the two innings that earned him his first save. Thatcher is 0-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 17 games. He's pitched 25 1/3 innings, striking out 31 to just 10 walks while giving up 20 hits, 10 runs and nine earned runs. Opponents are hitting just .215 against him. His appearances, ERA and opponents' average all rank third on the Rascals. Players won't get rich in an independent baseball league. To help meet expenses, most players in the Frontier League live with host families in the town where they play and Thatcher is no exception. "I have the basement to myself -- it's kind of like my own apartment," he said. "I have a great host family. They're really nice people. They have three younger kids and they're fun to hang out with. "It's all volunteer. We don't have to pay anything for it, which is really nice. For what we get paid, you can't afford to stay anywhere else. "But, I'm getting paid to play baseball and you can't beat that." O'Fallon sits just west of St. Louis off Interstate 70 -- an area with an appetite for baseball. "We get 4,000 to 6,000 people a game. I'd heard St. Louis was a baseball town and it really is," Thatcher said. "I've been here all summer and it's amazing how everywhere you go, you see people in Cardinals' jerseys and all the talk is about the Cardinals. It's really neat to see. "We have a lot of support around here. Knowing you're going to play in front of that many people makes it fun to go to the ballpark every day." The dream for every player in the Frontier League is to get noticed by one of the Major League teams and have their contract purchased. "Since I've been here, we've had three guys get signed -- one guy went to the Yankees and two pitchers were picked up by Toronto," Thatcher said. "You see that and it's encouraging. These guys are doing the same thing as me. They get a phone call out of nowhere that says, 'We're going to pick you up' and there you go." Most players in the Frontier League are either coming out of college ball -- like Thatcher -- or have been in the minor-league organizations of MLB teams. "We get compared to a high [Class] A league. We have guys who have played Double A or high A ball," he said. "This is higher than rookie or low A. It's good competition. "It's been great. I went in not knowing what to expect. I'd heard about independent ball, but I hadn't seen it and I didn't know what expect. I'm having a good time." The season runs through Aug. 28, but the team will have to improve considerably in its last 25 games to make the playoffs. As of Tuesday, the Rascals were 33-34 and seven games out of first. Thatcher's enjoyed his time with the Rascals -- enough so that he's considering coming back for 2005. "I'm chasing a dream I guess. I want to play baseball for as long as I can," he said. "I have another year of school to go to get my degree. Some of our guys are married and have a kid. I have no financial responsibilities to worry about. No one is depending on me -- I'm just out on my own. "I'm going to hang on as long as I can. You never know what can happen." LHP Joe Thatcher's career numbers prior to 2005 (includes college): 2005 numbers listed in story above; Thatcher will be 24 years old on October 4th -- he's 6'3", 225 lbs. www.thebaseballcube.com/p...cher.shtml

MLB.com: Ned Yost said general manager Doug Melvin called Sunday morning and raved about Minor League outfielder Nelson Cruz, who was held finally hitless Saturday after batting .457 in his first 11 games with Triple-A Nashville. Melvin is on a nine-day tour of Brewers Minor League affiliates.

Final: Orem (Angels) 13, Helena 8 Owlz take out some frustration, scoring in every inning but the 2nd -- heck, the Brewerz scored in six different innings... Helena Box Score: Angel Salome hits two doubles and watches his avearge drop -- must stink to be that hot; 4th round third baseman Matt Gamel's four hits were a triple shy of the cycle -- expect Gamel to be on Ryan Braun's heels throughout their Brewer careers, and don't be surprised if Gamel posts the better numbers along the way, but seven errors at the hot corner already?! www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: Yes, RHP Robbie Wooley is having a tough season, but I dare you to read the game log and find fault with his work in this one until the final at-bat gopher ball -- talk about no support... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: West Virginia 8, Hagerstown (Mets) 5, 14 innings Worth all four hours, 54 minutes, to get the Power over the .500 mark in the second half... West Virginia Box Score: RHP Justin Barnes with a bullpen-saving seven-inning stint for the win -- OK, we'll get dramatic and call it a heroic effort; Hasan Rashhed was hit by a pitch on the top of his batting helmet, but he's OK; apparently, catcher Carlos Corporan also had to leave early -- no word on his status; add two wild pitches and a HBP to Mark Rogers' five-walk outing, although, as noted above, no earned runs; Josh Murray reached base five times without getting a hit (three walks, two HBP's)... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hagafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: The Power stranded 16, the Suns 12; errors did sting early on, but defense was solid in the late going; a shout out to play-by-play man Andy "Bull" Barch for the yeoman solo evening; do you dare review 14 innings? Here you go... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hagafx_1

Final: Carolina (Marlins) 8, Huntsville 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Johnson Pitches Mudcats Past StarsJosh Johnson worked seven strong innings and got home run support from Michael Tucker and Reggie Abercrombie in Carolina?s 8-2 win over Huntsville Sunday night in the final game of a three-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Mudcats took two out of three to improve to 12-9 and move back into first place in the North Division, one half game in front of West Tenn and a full game ahead of the 12-11 Stars. The Mudcats won nine of the 14 games between the two teams this year and won the season series for a fourth straight year and for the ninth time in their 15-year history. Tucker?s two-run home run in the second staked the visitors to the early lead and marked the third straight night that Carolina scored first on a long ball. Abercrombie belted a solo home run in the third inning and Frank Moore, who collected three hits for a second night in a row, singled home Chris Bass with two outs in the frame to make it 4-0. Jeremy Hermida scored on a passed ball and Bass drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth to extend the Carolina advantage to 6-0. Josh Habel was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits over four innings in his first start with the Stars. The southpaw had appeared in 10 games in relief before being sent to high class-A Brevard County to work as a starter. He went 5-4 with a 2.56 earned run average in 11 starts with the Manatees before rejoining the Huntsville club on Friday. Johnson blanked the Stars on two hits before allowing a run in the seventh on a bases loaded single by Callix Crabbe that plated Vinny Rottino, who had walked. The right-hander worked out of further trouble by inducing John Vanden Berg to bounce into an inning-ending double play. Johnson lasted seven innings for a fifth time on the season and earned his eighth win of the season and second against the Stars. Carolina finished the game with 13 hits, totaled 34 in the three-game set and reached double figures in hits in each game after going 19 straight games without back-to-back games with at least 10 hits. The Mudcats scored 19 runs in the series, nine of which came on home runs. The Stars begin a seven-game road trip Monday in Mobile with right-hander David Bradley taking the hill for the Stars in the opener of the four-game series against BayBears right-hander Brian Whitaker. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Brad Nelson with two more base hits, both singles, continuing his amazing Huntsville run (.436, 24-for-55, ten walks) www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

Nashville Audio Plays of the Week: The Marvin the Martian version... www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-17.mp3

RHP Landon Stockman, a minor league Rule 5 pickup last fall, has been activated from the Brevard County DL -- he made his first appearance since this latest activation earlier this weekend.

Nashville Press Release: Left-handed reliever Tommy Phelps has been added to the Sounds' active roster for tonight's series finale against the Albuquerque Isotopes. The 31-year-old southpaw was outrighted from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday when the club promoted left-hander Dana Eveland from Double-A Huntsville and accepted his assignment to Nashville today. Phelps made the Brewers' Opening Day roster as a non-roster invitee to spring training and posted an 0-2 record, one save, and a 4.63 ERA (12er/23.1ip) in 29 relief outings for Milwaukee this season. He logged an 8.53 ERA in 10 April appearances before hurling 7 1/3 scoreless frames in the month of May. In his final 11 games over June and July, Phelps allowed seven earned runs in eight innings of work, walking six batters and striking out five over that stretch. The addition of Phelps pushes the Sounds' roster back to the full capacity of 24 players for the first time in a month, dating back to June 17. Follow that night's game, Kevin Orie and Chad Paronto requested their releases and Nashville operated with a short roster until today.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Fielder Homers But Sounds Drop 3rd StraightNASHVILLE ? The Albuquerque Isotopes handed the Sounds their third straight loss on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium, registering a 5-2 victory against Nashville in the finale of a four-game series. With the victory, Albuquerque (52-43) earned a split of the 16-game season series between the clubs and posted a three-games-to-one win of the weekend series at Greer. Nashville (52-43), which has lost three straight games for the first time since early June, now holds a three-game lead over second-place Memphis in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. Nashville committed a season-high four errors in the contest, all behind starter Gary Glover. Ten of the 16 runs allowed by the right-hander this season have been unearned. Derek Wathan put the visitors on the board in the top of the second inning with a two-run homer to right off Nashville starter Gary Glover, his second longball in as many at-bats against Sounds pitching. The Albuquerque second baseman mashed a game-winning three-run homer in the eighth inning on Saturday evening. Sunday?s homer was Wathan?s fifth of the season. Both runs in the inning were unearned following a throwing error by Sounds third baseman Chris Barnwell earlier in the frame. The Isotopes increased the lead to 3-0 in the third on Joe Dillon?s two-out RBI triple to center and added a pair of runs in the sixth to up the advantage to 5-0. Sounds first baseman Prince Fielder broke up the Isotopes? shutout bid in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out, two-run homer to right off reliever Matt Perisho. The roundtripper was his team-leading 17th of the season. Audio link to Prince Fielder's home run: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-17.mp3 Albuquerque starter Jeff Fulchino (7-6) earned the victory after allowing six hits and striking out six over 5 2/3 scoreless innings of work. Glover (2-1) took the loss after surrendering five runs (three earned) and fanning seven batters in his six frames. The Sounds continue their homestand on Monday evening by welcoming the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds to Greer Stadium for the 7 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Left-hander Jeff Housman (3-7, 5.28) takes the hill for Nashville to face Redbirds right-hander Chris Gissell (7-5, 2.62).

Anyone else listening to the Huntsville game, and hear the interview with Doug Melvin? Go for it, iifan -- I've got the Power game on...

It's 8:40 Central, they've been playing for four hours in Hagerstown -- check it out if you're around: In progress: West Virginia 5, Hagerstown (Mets) 5, after 11 innings Justin Barnes excellent in relief; Hasan Rasheed had to leave the game in the 5th after being hit by a pitch...

Final: Albuquerque (Marlins) 5, Nashville 2 Nashville Box Score: Absolutely terrible defense behind Gary Glover here -- details from the Sounds' site soon... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Final: Fort Myers (Twins) 2, Brevard County 0 Game Summary from the Miracle's Site: Harben Dazzles in Complete Game ShutoutVIERA, FL ? Adam Harben?s last outing was in the sweltering afternoon heat in Southwest Florida and he lasted just four innings due to fatigue. That start must have prepared him for the heat at Space Coast Stadium on Sunday afternoon as he went the distance hurling a five-hit, complete game shutout as the Fort Myers Miracle blanked the Brevard County Manatees 2-0. Harben, who nearly no-hit the Manatees on May 29 at Hammond Stadium, going 7.1 innings before giving up a single to Travis Ezi, lost the no-hit bid early on. He gave up a two-out double to Drew Anderson in the first. Adam Heether followed with an infield single, but Anderson took too wide of a turn around third and was tagged out in a run down. Harben allowed a one-out single to Steve Sollman in the third and didn?t allow another hit until the eighth. He gave up a lead off bunt single to Wandel Campana in the eighth, followed by a single to center by C.J. Medlin that put runners at first and second. Sollman sacrificed the runners over, but Harben got Ezi to ground out to first and Ozzie Chavez to ground out to second to end the inning without any damage. Harben walked just one Manatee hitter while striking out six for the second Miracle nine-inning, complete game shutout of the season. Glen Perkins pitched the other one on June 16 vs. Clearwater. The Miracle offense gave Harben all the support he needed in the third. Angelo Fermin led off with a walk. He moved to second on a sac bunt by Matt Tolbert and went to third on a ground out by Ron Perodin. Fermin then scored on a wild pitch. The Miracle got an insurance run in the sixth when Perodin collected one of his four hits on the day with an infield single to third. He advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman Heether. Trent Oeltjen then singled home Perodin. Perodin was 4-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases. Brock Peterson also collected a hit to extend his hitting streak to 13, tying the Miracle season high with Denard Span. The same two teams meet Monday night at Space Coast Stadium at 7:00 p.m. (6:00 Central). The Miracle send RHP Jay Rainville, making his first start with the Miracle since being called up from Beloit, to the hill against Manatees RHP Ben Diggins (0-0, 2.08). Brevard County Box Score: Sometimes you just tip your cap, huh? www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

In progress: Fort Myers (Twins) 2, Brevard County 0, after seven innings RHP Luis Pena outstanding, but not outstanding enough, with a seven-inning stint thus far...

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Stars notebook (through Friday) By Paul Gattis, Huntsville Times Covering the bases The good news for the Stars is that they expect to get two pitchers back from the disabled list later this week. The bad news is that it will require some shuffling of the roster. Righty Dennis Sarfate (blister) is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Mobile against the BayBears. He will take the roster spot vacated by Dana Eveland, who was promoted last week to Milwaukee -- the first Star to make the big leagues this season. Stars manager Don Money also said that reliever Alec Zumwalt, acquired from Atlanta as part of the trade that sent Brewers closer Dan Kolb to the Braves, will likely be activated in the next few days as he recovers from a broken non-throwing hand. "When that happens, then we've got to do something (on the roster)," Money said. "And don't ask me, because I don't have the faintest clue. It all depends on what Reid Nichols (who oversees the Brewers farm system) wants to do -- if he wants to send a guy down or release somebody." ... Sarfate will assume the role of the ace in the rotation with Eveland's promotion. He is 7-5 with a 3.62 ERA and has gone at least six innings in 11 of his 17 starts. ... Money said reliever Jerome Gamble might have been ticketed for a promotion soon to Triple-A Nashville before blowing what would have been his fifth save in allowing two runs in the ninth to Carolina. After battling an elbow injury, Gamble hadn't allowed a base runner in his first two appearances since coming off the disabled list. But his pitches were high in the strike zone Friday and he allowed three hits and two runs in an inning. ... Catcher John Vanden Berg showed signs Friday of snapping out of a slump in going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs. The RBIs were his first since June 15th and he came into the game just 12 for his last 63 (.190). Vanden Berg splits time with Jeff Winchester at catcher. "As long as they handle the pitchers and throw out guys once in a while, that's their job," Money said. .... Money has been spending some of his time away from the ballpark recently trying to get his life back in order after his wallet was stolen out of the clubhouse during a game last month at Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium. It's enough to make Money wonder why at several Southern League stadiums, including in Mobile, the clubhouses are beyond the outfield wall and perhaps less secure. At least the tiny clubhouses at Joe Davis Stadium are tucked safely underneath the stands and accessed by tunnels from the dugouts. Around the league Delmon Young, perhaps the league's top prospect, is a prospect no longer. The Montgomery outfielder and younger brother of Detroit's Dmitri Young was called up to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last week. Delmon Young led the league in both homers (20) and RBIs (71) and was fourth in hitting (.336) when he was called up. ... The league, in fact, has done its job well this year - evidenced by the recent rash of promotions. In the last week, Carolina sent pitcher Jason Vargas to the Florida Marlins and Mississippi has sent former major leaguer Jay Powell to the Atlanta Braves along with Eveland's promotion to Milwaukee. Just before the all-star break, Mississippi sent Jeff Francoeur to Atlanta and Birmingham sent Bobby Jenks to parent club Chicago White Sox. ... Mississippi also sent infielder Scott Thorman (second in league with 65 RBIs) to Triple-A Richmond along with infielder Jonathan Schuerholz (the son of Braves GM John Schuerholz). ... With all the promotions around the league, the Tennessee Smokies now boast the remaining league RBI leaders with Jesus Cota (63) and Dan Uggla (59). Of course, with a parent club like the St. Louis Cardinals, there's no rush to send prospects up the ladder. Brewings Triple-A Nashville (52-41, first place in Pacific Coast League's American North): Recently promoted Star Nelson Cruz is 14-for-29 (.483) with three home runs. Single-A Brevard County (14-6, first place in Florida State League's East): P Tim Dillard is 7-7 with a 2.49 ERA. Single-A West Virginia (9-11, tied for fourth place in South Atlantic League's Northern): P Robert Hinton has seven saves and a 2.81 ERA. On deck After today's 6:05 p.m. game against Carolina, the Stars head to Mobile for four games, then to Birmingham for three. They return home July 26 against West Tenn.

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

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...705_01.txt Timely hits lead Brewers to victory By KEVIN SHIVELY - IR Sports Writer The Helena Brewers aren't showing any signs of slowing down. The league leading Brewers (18-6) beat the Orem Owlz for the second night in a row Saturday, pushing their lead in the north to four and a half games. The Brewers had nine innings of sharp pitching, and some very timely hitting as they beat the Owlz 5-3. The Helena pitching staff allowed only eight hits in the game. "The guys did a great job. They stayed after the strike zone all night," said Helena pitching coach Mark Littell. "Orem is a team that likes to swing the bat, and our guys really kept their composure." Derek Miller started for the Brewers, and pitched six full innings of four hit ball with six strikeouts. Miller allowed two runs in his stint on the mound, both in the third inning. One run on a RBI stand up triple from Hainley Statia, and the second on a RBI single from Mark Trumbo. Will Inman started the seventh inning for the Brewers, picking up his second win of the season, but also collecting a blown save. In the top of the ninth, trying to get out of the game with their two run lead, Inman struck out Trumbo, but then allowed two singles and had both runners advance on a passed ball. Richard Breshears came in to clean up and started off by striking out Anderson Rosario. He got out of the inning by forcing a ground ball from Josh Cowles. It was Breshears third save this season. "All three pitchers did a good job of keeping things in check," said Littell. "They had a nice day." At the plate, it was a pair of identical home runs that gave the Brewers their edge. In the third, centerfielder Charlie Fermaint, who hit a walk off single to win Friday's contest, hit a one-out two-run knock over the scoreboard to regain their two run lead. In the eighth, with the game tied at three apiece, catcher Angel Salome hit his own one-out two-run shot over the scoreboard, giving Helena the 5-3 lead and win. Darren Ford crossed the plate on Fermaint's homer, and Fermaint scored on Salome's. Ford was 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored, and Salome was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Fermaint was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Charleston Gazette: Power moves to .500 mark The West Virginia Power reached the .500 mark for the season?s second half by beating the Hagerstown Suns 2-0 Saturday night in Hagerstown. The Power (11-11) jumped on the Suns in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead on Hasan Rasheed?s RBI single that scored Alcides Escobar from second base. It was Escobar?s 59th run of the season, tying him for fourth in the South Atlantic League. The Power added an insurance run in the seventh as Josh Murray doubled home Carlos Corporan. It was the Power?s fifth shutout of the season. West Virginia starter Yovani Gallardo (4-3) pitched six innings of three-hit ball to pick up the victory. It was the second straight strong outing for Gallardo, who allowed just two hits in eight innings in a 2-1 home victory over the Suns in his last outing. Suns starter Tim Worthington (3-2) went six innings, surrendering one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts. Murray, the Power third baseman, was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Power All-star Robert Hinton surrendered two hits in the ninth but held on to pick up his eighth save. The Suns had their best chance in the 7th inning when Jesus Flores led off with a rocket to left field, but Josh Brady made a running catch at the wall to the dissapointment of over 2,000 fans that came to cheer on the Suns. Brady's catch was outdone only by centerfielder Hasan Rasheed's catch of a rainbow liner by Jim Burt in the next at-bat. Rasheed sprinted to the gap in left center before going airborne and robbing Burt of a single. Ryan Coultas then flied out to end the inning. The teams will play again at Municipal Stadium at 5:35 p.m. today (4:35 Central).

Manatee Management -- it's a problem we've seen often this season: your site's game summary leads to a dead link...

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Stetter struggles in his Greer debut Wathan hits 3-run HR to give Isotopes victory By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Mitch Stetter's home-field introduction to Class AAA baseball was a little rough last night. Summoned from the Nashville Sounds bullpen in the eighth inning to face switch-hitting Derek Wathan, the left-handed Stetter's second pitch landed beyond the left-field fence for a three-run home run to key a 6-2 Albuquerque victory at Greer Stadium. "We were hoping for a ground ball and he hung a breaking ball," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said following his team's second consecutive loss. "Usually, hanging breaking balls don't turn into ground balls. Wathan deposited it like he's supposed to." Stetter, who had allowed only two hits over 2+ scoreless innings in his last two appearances, had a handful of family and friends from his native Huntingburg, Ind., on hand for his six-pitch relief outing. "I'll have plenty here, being three hours from home," said Stetter, who was 2-3 with a 2.61 ERA and eight saves for Huntsville before being promoted July 7. "I threw a first-pitch slider for a strike, then I went back with one and tried to get it down and in. I didn't put it where I wanted to. It was a perfect pitch to hit, really." Nashville starter Justin Lehr allowed just two runs ? on nine hits ? over six innings. It was his seventh consecutive quality start (six innings or more with three earned runs or less). Over that stretch, Lehr is 2-2 with three no-decisions. Offensively, the Sounds were unable to take advantage. They managed a season-low two hits ? a first-inning solo home run and a double, both by Warren Morris ? against Albuquerque starter Donovan Osborne and relievers John Riedling and Jim Crowell. The other run came on an Albuquerque error, a stolen base and an infield groundout in the seventh. "It's unfortunate," Morris said. "Justin threw well, but you can't win many games with two hits. (Osborne) is one of those guys who's probably tougher on right-handers than left-handers. He was tough all night; I just got in a good count against him. "They got a lot of hits (15). We were able to shut them down early; they got some opportunities and didn't capitalize. But they were able to push some runs across late." With the score 2-2, reliever Mike Adams allowed back-to-back one-out base hits before Stetter came in for the Wathan homer. Nashville still managed to maintain its four-game lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division race, as second-place Memphis lost to New Orleans. Smooth operator: Lehr successfully executed the fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff play in the first inning last night, victimizing ex-Nashville infielder Jason Wood with the move. Cruz docked: Nelson Cruz's 11-game hitting streak came to an end last night. The outfielder went 0-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. It was his first hitless game since joining the Sounds on June 29 from Huntsville. What they said: "I looked up in the eighth inning, and they had 12 hits and we had two, and we were tied. It was just a matter of time before the laws of baseball took over." ? Nashville outfielder Ryan Knox. Tonight's pitchers: Sounds ? RHP Gary Glover (2-0, 1.32 ERA). Isotopes ? RHP Jeff Fulchino (6-6, 6.25).

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Mudcats hold off Huntsville SL North race stays tight after Carolina claims 7-5 victory By JOHN FERRY Times Sports Staff jferry@htimes.com Huntsville catcher Jeff Winchester knows why the Stars and Carolina Mudcats are battling for first place in the Southern League North Division during the second half of the season. "Both teams have great lineups and great pitching," Winchester said. "We put up a good fight tonight. We got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning but couldn't finish the deal." While the Stars rallied for a victory in the series opener on Friday, Carolina held for a 7-5 win Saturday night to even the series at Joe Davis Stadium. The victory moved Carolina to 11-9 in the standings while Huntsville is 12-10. Nine pitchers were used in Saturday's game. Carolina starter Ray Aguilar, shaky at times, got the win, allowing 10 hits in five innings. Huntsville starter Ty Taubenheim, in his second start after moving up from Single-A, went two innings and got the loss. Andy Pratt, who has pitched in the major leagues for the Cubs and Braves, followed along with Khalid Ballouli, Brett Evert and Keith Stamler. Ballouli got the first two outs in the eighth inning, then appeared to grab at his shoulder after making a pitch to Carolina's Jeremy Hermida. "He appeared to have an upper back sprain," Winchester said after Ballouli was taken out. Carolina led 3-0 in the first when Frank Moore and Drew Niles singled, and Jason Hill belted a homer over left field. Tony Gwynn Jr. led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and scored on a throwing error when the Mudcats failed to complete a double play. In the Carolina second, Michael Tucker singled and scored on a double by Moore. Hermida then scored Moore with a single for a 5-1 lead. A homer by Dennis Anderson upped Carolina's lead to 6-1 in the third. Huntsville got three runs back in its third. Brad Nelson singled home one, and Ben Van Iderstine knocked in two runs with another single. James Shanks' single in the sixth drove in Moore for a 7-4 Carolina lead. In the Huntsville ninth, Gwynn doubled and came home on Nelson's single. Guilder Rodriguez grounded out to end the game.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Mudcats Make Most of Early RunsJason Hill hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Frank Moore chipped in with three hits and three runs scored in Carolina?s 7-5 win over Huntsville Saturday night in the second game of a three-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Mudcats improved to 11-9 in the second half and moved back into a first place tie with the 12-10 Stars in the North Division, pending the outcome of the second game of the West Tenn-Mississippi doubleheader in Jackson, TN. Moore and Drew Niles singled to open the game and one out later Hill launched a three-run blast to left field to put the visitors ahead 3-0. It was the 14th long ball of the year for Hill, a career high, and gave him a team-best 46 runs batted in. Moore doubled in a run in the second and then scored on a base hit by Jeremy Hermida to put Carolina ahead 5-1. Huntsville starter Ty Taubenheim was knocked out after two frames and suffered his first loss at the double-A level and just his third of the season. The right-hander went six solid innings in his first start with the Stars five days earlier at Mississippi but faced only 13 hitters in his first start at home. The Stars closed to within 6-4 in the third on a run-scoring single by Brad Nelson and a two-out, two-run single by Ben Van Iderstine. Carolina starter Ray Aguilar lasted five frames, allowing four runs on 10 hits to pick up his second win in five starts since joining the team. The left-hander struck out five and walked one and was followed by Luke Lockwood, who retired all six hitters he faced. Khalid Ballouli, the Stars third pitcher of the night, lasted three innings and allowed a run on three hits before leaving in the eighth inning after injuring his right pitching arm on a 2-2 offering to Jeremy Hermida that he took for ball three. Brett Evert came on to replace Ballouli and walked Hermida before getting out of the inning by striking out James Shanks with two runners on base. Nelson singled home Tony Gwynn, Jr. with two outs in the ninth to trim the Carolina lead to 7-5 but Mike Flannery retired Guilder Rodriguez on a ground ball to end the game and record his 11th save of the season. Nelson singled twice and reached on a fielder?s choice and has now been on base in 35 of 62 plate appearances since joining the team on June 30. The series wraps up Sunday evening with right-hander David Bradley taking the hill for the Stars against Mudcats right-hander Josh Johnson. Coverage of the game gets underway at 5:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.