Jim Goulart

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Earlier today I sent Todd Rosiak a request to ask about Luna in his next session with Tom Flanagan. In March I was told "not Tommy John" (wasn't told if it was even arm-related), and 2-3 month rehab. Todd followed up for us (thanks, Todd!), but the news is not good. *** We can now add another name to the Tommy John list, as RHP Milton Gomez underwent the procedure this week (Friday 3/25). The Brewers had scored very well in "Tommy John avoidance" in recent years. Daniel Missaki's surgery took place on the Mariners' watch, and six others may be par for the MLB course these days, but is still cause for concern. Diaz, if you're a Link Report follower will have noticed, has begun his road back with Maryvale rehab stints. Yes, unfortunately, we need to add RHP Carlos Luna, the 2015 DSL All-Star Game MVP who dazzled all last year, on the Tommy John list. Don't have a surgery date for you, but it was post-April.

Be sure to see the latest on the Timber Rattlers via Todd Rosiak posted here.

More via Todd Rosiak of the J-S: If all goes well with his pre-game work today, Trent Clark is expected to return to the lineup for Class A Wisconsin tomorrow (Sunday 7/24). Wisconsin OF Monte Harrison (hamate) expected to return to game action in Arizona in about 2 weeks. Return to T-Rats could be ~ 4 weeks. Wisconsin 2B Tucker Neuhaus still in a holding pattern with his fractured finger. Still no baseball activity for him. *** Gotta be the worst finger fracture in history for Tucker; they should just refer to it as a mangling...

VIDEO from a distance: Nate Orf's Sky Sox walkoff

Final: Arizona Giants 6, Arizona Brewers 4 Weather: 108 degrees, clear. Wind: 8 mph, L to R. Maryvale Box Score Another very disconcerting effort by RHP Javi Salas, we're not sure he was assigned to Maryvale for injury rehab work, but it's likely more of a Taylor Jungmann-like figure-it-out assignment. Salas has walked 43 in 50 innings. Top three in the A-Crew order combined to go 8-for-14 with two doubles and a home run, click the box link to see who had the fine nights. Maryvale Game Log

Helena Bottom of the 5th Ryan Aguilar strikes out on a foul tip. Joantgel Segovia grounds out, third baseman Manny Olloque to first baseman David Edwards. Gilbert Lara strikes out swinging. Idaho Falls Top of the 6th Defensive Substitution: Jonathan Oquendo replaces shortstop Gilbert Lara, batting 3rd, playing shortstop. *** Unless Lara (0-for-3, two K's, his 9th error) pulled an oblique or something, these yankings for improper frustration venting are getting easier to recognize.

Final: Idaho Falls 9, Helena 2 Chukars Top Brewers 9-2 Helena Still Leads Series HELENA, MT - Following a pair of one-run defeats, the Idaho Falls Chukars responded by downing the Helena Brewers 9-2 on Saturday night at Kindrick Legion Field. The Chukars snapped a 1-1 tie with four runs in the top of the 5th inning, and added four more in the top of the 6th. Cameron Roegner was tagged with the loss, his second of the season, after allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4.2 innings. The big lefty struck out five and did not walk a batter. Aaron Myers was outstanding in his Helena debut, striking out four in 3.1 innings, and allowing just one baserunner. The 6'3'' right-hander joined the team from the Arizona League earlier this week. Wes Wilson finished the game 3-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. He has now reached base safely in seven straight plate appearances going back to last night. The Brewers still lead the four game series two games to one, and will look to win it Sunday when the series concludes at 1:05 PM (2:05 Central). *** Brewers strand 13 in loss to Chukars Ryan Collingwood, Helena Independent Record Three photos at the link Know errors, know loss. No errors, no loss. After the Helena Brewers took advantage of the Idaho Falls Chukars' combined nine defensive hiccups the previous two nights, the Kansas City Royals affiliate handled the Brewers 9-2 Saturday at Kindrick Legion Field. The Chukars (20-14) didn't a commit an error in the rout. But while Idaho Falls played atypically clean -- the South Division leaders are also atop the league in errors -- Helena didn't do itself any favors. The Brewers (13-21) stranded 13 runners, a number boosted by three fruitless, bases-loaded innings. Helena's two-game win streak was halted. The Brewers haven't won three straight since winning their first three outings in June. Brewers starter Cameron Roegner gave up one run on four hits in four innings of work, but he was shelled in the fifth inning, giving up four runs and five straight singles in the frame. Reliever Michael Petersen then struggled in the sixth inning, giving up four runs on four hits as the Chukars built a 9-1 cushion. Idaho Falls tallied 14 hits, paced by Mark Sanchez's 3-for-4 night at plate, including a double and an RBI. Manny Olloque was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and a double. Helena, last in the Pioneer in hits and team average (.261), was led by Wes Wilson, who went 3 for 3 with an RBI and was walked twice. Nathan Rodriguez was 2 for 3 with a double and was also walked twice. Wilson, a third baseman out of Clemson, has hit in five of his last seven at-bats. His RBI single came in the ninth. Strikeouts came at a high clip, as the Brewers struck out 11 Chukars, led by Roegner's five. Idaho Falls fanned 10. Arnaldo Hernandez earned the win for Idaho Falls, giving up one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Brewers reliever Aaron Myers had a solid 3 1/3 innings, giving up no runs and one hit while fanning four. *** Helena Box Score Idaho Falls is hitting .322 as a team - yay, Pioneer League (team battings stats). Golden sombrero for RF Yerald Martinez, 38 K's and 12 BB's for the young man with seven home runs in 2016. Helena Game Log

As archived in full within our season-long Timber Rattlers feature thread -- *** Hometown paper takes notice... Central grad Ghelfi upping his stock Colten Bartholomew, Lacrosse Tribune Three photos at the link If hitting truly is infectious, Mitch Ghelfi has certainly caught the contagion in recent weeks. Ghelfi’s play of late for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers — the Milwaukee Brewers’ Class A affiliate — has brought more attention to the Central High School graduate. And with the increase in eyeballs trained his way, he’s delivered quite the show.

Hometown paper takes notice... Central grad Ghelfi upping his stock Colten Bartholomew, Lacrosse Tribune Three photos at the link If hitting truly is infectious, Mitch Ghelfi has certainly caught the contagion in recent weeks. Ghelfi’s play of late for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers — the Milwaukee Brewers’ Class A affiliate — has brought more attention to the Central High School graduate. And with the increase in eyeballs trained his way, he’s delivered quite the show. Ghelfi took a 13-game hit streak into Saturday night’s Midwest League home game against Lake County, and had hit safely in 17 of his past 18 games. He’s not just quietly extending his streak, either — he’s collecting two-, three- and four-hit games seemingly with ease. The 13-game streak includes nine games with multiple hits, and Ghelfi had seven consecutive games with at least two hits from July 10-17. The rise in hits, Ghelfi said Saturday, is a testament to the work he and the Timber Rattlers coaches Chuckie Caufield and Al LeBoeuf have done to compact Ghelfi’s swing. “They’re so knowledgeable about hitting, what works, what doesn’t, so I’m soaking all that up,” Ghelfi said in a phone interview before heading to batting practice Saturday. “I’ve been able to shorten my swing, which is getting me to the ball quicker. Knowing that I’m able to get the bat there quicker lets me see the ball longer, which helps me lay off the off-speed stuff and stuff out of the zone,” he said. He’s been hitting out of the No. 2 hole during his streak after hitting in multiple spots throughout the year. “We’ve got a pretty fluid lineup here,” Ghelfi said. “There’s a bunch of guys in this lineup who can swing the bat.” Much of what Ghelfi and his coaches work on is the physical aspects — the step of his swing, bringing his hands to the ball, proper shoulder rotation, etc. — but Ghelfi says that he’s been able to improve on the mental side of the game as well. “Being able to come to the field every day focused on the little things, that’s helped,” he said. “I’ve just been so focused on getting that extra practice time, whether it’s fielding or hitting. That focus before the game or at practice makes it easier to lock in for games.” The skills that have made him successful in Minor League Baseball could be seen when he suited up for the Red Raiders or for UW-Milwaukee. He was a second-team all-state selection in high school, and earned All-American honors his freshman year with the Panthers. Ghelfi is a switch-hitter, and said shortening his swing from each side the plate hasn’t been much as a challenge, again crediting Caufield and LeBoeuf’s tutelage. However, one aspect has been tough and it’s something he can’t control — finding lefties to hit against. It may be days or even a week between games where the Timber Rattlers face a southpaw pitcher, so Ghelfi has had to rely on time in the batting cage and hitting off tees to keep his right-handed swing sharp. “You have to stay in a groove from both sides of the plate. That comes down to making sure you’re getting the same swings and focusing on both sides equally,” Ghelfi said. “So if I’m not getting as many at-bats in the game right-handed, I’ve got to make up for that in practice.” Ghelfi said maintaining that consistent approach from both sides allows him to feel confident in the batter’s box, regardless of the pitcher staring him down. The Timber Rattlers went 8-5 during Ghelfi’s hit streak, and the 5-foot-11, 185-pound prospect has added even more versatility to his game to go along with his switch hitting. Ghelfi has played primarily first base for Wisconsin after injuries at the position opened up the spot. Ghelfi played some infield while at UW-Milwaukee, so it wasn’t foreign to him to switch gloves and take over at first. He still catches once or twice a week, splitting time with Max McDowell behind the plate. “We have a good thing going and we’re always working with our pitchers so they’re comfortable with both of us back there,” Ghelfi said. “First base came up this year, so I just hopped in there and kind of learned it on the fly.” Playing another position could help Ghelfi’s prospects of moving up through the minors, as position players that can fill multiple spots on a given day are in vogue today more than ever. “Anything I can do to help my team and keep in the lineup,” Ghelfi said.

VIDEO via Fox11Online: Focus on Domingo Santana's rehab at-bats

"Pensacola's Sal Romano (3-10) earned his third win of the season against Biloxi." So 0-10 against the rest of the league? Yikes, c'mon Shuckers. ERA 4.25, the guy's not reflective of his record. Seven-year vet and brand new Shucker Tom Belza (.390 career SLG) was Biloxi's cleanup hitter, guess that speaks to the state of this Biloxi offense right now.

Final: Colorado Springs 5, Round Rock 4, 12 innings Wow, what a game, as each team scored two in the 11th - not just the Timber Rattlers walking off on this night! Enjoy the recap below. *** Orf Walks Sky Sox Off 5-4 Over Express Sky Sox come back twice, then win in extra innings By Aaron Cheris / Colorado Springs Sky Sox http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/0/6/191375506/cuts/IMG_5848_9e22vi0j_rfi5s87k.JPG Nate Orf delivered the walk-off hit for the Sky Sox in the 12th inning. (Jonathan Cheris photo) *** VIDEO via KRDO: Early-game action, including the pickoff by Josh Hader discussed in the game summary "After the rough first inning, Hader settled down. After a leadoff walk in the second, Sky Sox pitching coach Fred Dabney went to the mound to chat with his young pitcher. Hader responded by picking off Patrick Cantwell from first base to get the first out of the inning." *** Colorado Springs Box Score Really encouraging work being done by Michael Blazek; new waiver claim RHP Rob Scahill touched up in two consecutive outings after a scoreless Brewers organization debut appearance. Catcher Manny Pina (.921 OPS), again batting 3rd, singled twice and walked - is anybody following the Jonathan Lucroy saga more than Pina? Two doubles, a triple, and the 18th AAA stolen base for CF Keon Broxton, yeah, that's a good night. Broxton has a .999 OPS in 17 July AAA games - what happens to this young man at the big league level? Colorado Springs Game Log

This is not from the Sky Sox game, just passing along some perspective on this Brewer alumnus -- Slashing .381/.444/.774 with 16 long balls and 43 RBIs in 41 games with Reno *** Aces' Haniger blasts two more homers Saturday night D-backs prospect has six long balls, 16 RBIs in last eight games By Michael Avallone / MiLB.com Video at the link...

AUDIO via Friday's Sky Sox Pregame Show: Part One of an interview with Colorado Springs' Athletic Trainer Aaron "Red" Hoback Always interesting getting the various perspectives of guys in roles like this...

Was there any doubt MiLB.com would do yet another overnight feature post on Mr. Diaz? Thank you, Dave Stewart! The story below does not include additional quotes, but thanks to the sweet interview archives from the Rattler Radio blog linked above, you already heard from the young man and several others... Rattlers' Diaz walks off after career night Brewers No. 11 prospect smacks pair of homers, drives in six runs By Alex Kraft / MiLB.com

This is actually from Friday's Wisconsin game, but wasn't included in the team's video package --

As mentioned in Thursday's Link Report:

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Colorado Springs Media Notes - Linked on the Sky Sox official blog Biloxi Media Notes - Linked on the Shuck Dynasty blog Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog *** STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division AA - Southern League South Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division Pioneer League North Division Arizona League Central Division Dominican Summer League San Pedro Division *** Sortable individual stat pages: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers *** Weather.com: Reno, NV Pensacola, FL Port Charlotte, FL Grand Chute, WI Helena, MT Scottsdale, AZ San Pedro de Macoris, DR

Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Game One Brevard County Game Two Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Colorado Springs: LHP Josh Hader at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:30 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Dan Karcher, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Sky Sox is on Twitter @SkySoxKarch; joining him this season is Dan Acheson (@Dan_Acheson) MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Colorado Springs games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. The video of each game is archived online, which is a nice feature. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. NOTE: Notice that on MiLB.TV's page, you can click on "Filter", then "Milwaukee Brewers", and you'll see just the Crew's organizational TV lineup. ********** Biloxi: RHP Brooks Hall at Pensacola (Reds), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime Free Live Audio Link Chris Harris is the play-by-play voice of the Shuckers. Follow Chris on Twitter @CHarris731. We'll be linking to his fantastic "Shuck Dynasty" blog. Thaddeus Krzus (@Shucks1stIntern) joins Chris often. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be radio broadcast. MiLB.TV - Eight of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games, and Biloxi is among them. ********** Brevard County: RHP's Bubba Derby and Eric Hanhold in a doubleheader at Charlotte (Rays), 4:00 PM gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Free Live Audio Link (Charlotte feed) Unfortunately, the Manatees have dropped their broadcast coverage for 2016. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. Ten of the 12 Florida State League teams provide audio (some only for home games), we'll do our best to let you know when an opponent's audio is going to be available. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Trey Supak at home vs. Lake County (Indians), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime; expect RHP Devin Williams to pitch in a tandem role Free Live Audio Link Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. MiLB.TV - Eight of the 16 Midwest League teams telecast their home games, and Wisconsin, once again, is among them. We'll let you know when a road TV feed is available. NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on local TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (10) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (29) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule (scroll to bottom of link) so you can coordinate your DVR activity. ********** Helena: RHP Cameron Roegner at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link We welcome and look forward to hearing first-year Voice of the H-Crew Craig Durham (@CraigMDurham on Twitter). ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Giants' complex in Scottsdale, 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league ********** DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Tigers, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until later in the day We'll link to this Dominican Summer League Brewers' thread as part of the Daily Menu all season to assist you with your familiarity with these young men.

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Video Vines via Nolan Bratt -- Keon Broxton Garin Cecchini

VIDEO: Helena's walkoff

Helena's Yerald Martinez is indeed again tied for the Pioneer League lead in home runs after his 7th Friday night.