Jim Goulart

Chapman back on path toward majors Dustin Kent, Panama City (FL) News Herald Assistant Sports Editor COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — In the fall of 2012, Jaye Chapman got the opportunity of a lifetime. After six seasons and 252 Minor League games, the former Mosley Dolphin and Chipola Indian player was getting called up to the big leagues. *** Also posted in full in our season-long Sky Sox feature article archive thread...

Chapman back on path toward majors Dustin Kent, Panama City (FL) News Herald Assistant Sports Editor COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — In the fall of 2012, Jaye Chapman got the opportunity of a lifetime. After six seasons and 252 Minor League games, the former Mosley Dolphin and Chipola Indian player was getting called up to the big leagues. Chapman made his debut Sept. 4 for the Chicago Cubs, who acquired him that summer in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, pitching a scoreless second inning with a strikeout and a walk in an 11-5 loss to the Washington Nationals. He made 12 more appearances for the Cubs that season, finishing with a 3.75 ERA and 12 strikeouts to 10 walks in 12 innings pitched. Chapman went to Cubs training camp the following spring with every reason to believe he had a legitimate shot to make the opening day roster. But after he got there, he felt like something was wrong, physically. Chapman always had struggled with soreness in his hips, which he would write off to simple tightness. “I never really said anything to anyone,” he said. “I just pitched and figured everybody had some kind of hip thing. In sports, no one is every 100 percent. No one goes out there and feels great every day. I just figured it was something I had to deal with.” The pain was never that severe, certainly not substantial enough to actually keep him off the mound. But after a pitch he threw at training camp, Chapman felt something he hadn’t felt before. “I was like, man, that’s not right,” he said. “That doesn’t feel right.” Chapman was sent to Triple-A affiliate Iowa Cubs in the Pacific Coast League where he pitched in four games and struggled mightily, giving up 12 earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings. The pain in his hips hadn’t subsided, so he finally asked team doctors to check him out. What they relayed to him was not easy to accept. Chapman suffered from Femoroacetabular Impingement, or FAI, in both hips, a congenital condition in which the bones of the hip are abnormally shaped and consequently rub against each other and cause damage to the joint. Microfracture surgery would be required in both hips and there was no timetable on when he would be able to return to the baseball field. It was an especially devastating blow given the timing of it. “I had just got to the big leagues and pitched pretty well,” Chapman said. “I was probably going to pitch some in the big leagues (in 2013). I felt like I was really close. I felt like I was a part of (the Cubs’) plan. That’s where my faith came in. You’re thinking that this couldn’t come at a worse time, but at the same time, I knew something bigger was in store.” The surgery removed bone chips from both hips to alleviate the pain and allow for a greater range of motion. It was a success, but he spent the next six months on crutches and missed the remainder of the 2013 season. At year’s end, his contract with the Cubs expired and no other club was confident enough in Chapman’s health to give him a contract. He found a home with the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Independent Atlantic League where he pitched 50 games in 2014 and went 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA, 58 strikeouts, and 24 walks in 53 2/3 innings. Chapman called his time in Bridgeport a “blessing in disguise” and he was rewarded after the season with a phone call from his agent that he was not expecting. He was on the road when he got the call informing him that the Milwaukee Brewers were going to offer him a contract. Chapman was so overcome with emotion that he had to pull his car off to the side of the road to finish the conversation. “I was elated,” he said. “I was like, ‘what?’ It was just such a blessing. After all this long, hard work, putting in the rehab, doing six months on crutches, to finally get an opportunity to play affiliated baseball again? I couldn’t wait.” Chapman got his start this year in Double-A with the Biloxi Shuckers of the Southern League and dominated from the outset, going 4-2 with two saves and a 0.82 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and nine walks in 22 innings. He quickly moved up to Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League and has appeared in 18 games and pitched 21 innings, posting a 3.43 ERA with 22 strikeouts and three walks. It appears Chapman is on a path back to the majors, but he said he’s just thankful to be playing baseball again. “It’s just a huge blessing to be back doing what I love,” he said. “When I was going through rehab, I had that one goal in mind the entire time, just to get back. It’s been at times very trying and at times very humbling. But when things aren’t going your way, it’s kind of how you respond to those things. “Injuries are unfortunately a part of the game, so you just try to bounce back from it. I tried to have a never-say-quit attitude. I try to embody that as much as I can.” Remaining resolute in his belief hasn’t always been easy, however, with Chapman saying it was tough at times to stay positive in the face of such adversity. “There were nights where I’m sitting there and I can’t move, my hips are locked into this machine, and I’m like, ‘man, I don’t know,’” he said. “But for me, I relied a lot on my faith and also I try to be an extremely positive person. I had to tell myself that this is not it for me. I’m going to work harder than anybody has worked. I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to make it work again.” After the surgery and the rehab, Chapman said he feels better now than he ever has before, experiencing occasional tenderness after an outing but never anything on the scale of the pain he dealt with pre-surgery. “I’m right at two years removed from surgery and I feel great,” he said. “I still have days where I’m like ‘ugh,’ and I can definitely tell I had surgery. But then there are days where it’s way better than before I had the surgery. My range of motion is 10 times better. When the phone rings (in the bullpen) and it’s my time to go in, I’m ready to go every single time. That’s been a huge blessing.” There’s another call that Chapman is still waiting to come in, the one that tells him it’s time for his second chance to pitch in the majors. He said doesn’t know how close he is to that dream becoming reality, but he is trying to keep his focus only on what he can control. “I know it sounds super cliché, but I’m just trying to take it one day at a time,” he said. “I’m just so blessed and excited and lucky to even be playing again. It’s something maybe you take for granted. When you get hurt, you realize how lucky you are to be there. This year, I thank the good Lord every single day for the opportunity to do what I love and I try to attack that day and fully appreciate that day.” Chapman still vividly remembers the month he spent in the big leagues, which he called “one of the best times in my career.” “It was incredible,” he said. “It’s something you work your whole life for. It’s one of those weird things where even people that sometimes deserve to be there are just not in the right place at the right time and don’t get the opportunity. To actually get that opportunity is huge.” Getting another chance to pitch at the highest level would be rewarding on a completely different level, Chapman said. “In all honesty, it would be pretty emotional,” he said. “It’s something a lot of people thought would probably not happen again, even myself at times. If that opportunity came again, it would be a really emotional moment for me.”

In addition to the veteran RH reliever Wirfin Obispo, it's two late-round 2014 draft picks who were let go. This was the age 23 season for 31st round UNC-Charlotte RHP Brock Hudgens, Hudgens began the year in Wisconsin before moving back to extended spring after just two appearances there, then on to Helena. LHP Chad Reeves was a 33rd round choice out of LSU-Eunice, at age 24 (last February), he needed to shine quickly.

At Wisconsin, Castillo activated, Diaz and catcher Natanael Mejia placed on the 7-day retro to 7/23, and as noted above, Helena OF Omar Cotto up to fill the 25-man roster.

Timber Rattlers’ Nathan Kirby eased back to mound Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fe07b4234723d882e8b3da0522cf5d01292bc83a/c=327-0-3249-2197&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/07/25/Appleton/B9318210526Z.1_20150725170212_000_GDDBENOCM.1-0.jpg GRAND CHUTE – Nathan Kirby was jacked after throwing the final pitch to win college baseball’s greatest prize and wanted to celebrate with gusto. But Kirby’s instincts told him to do something else: Get out of the way and don’t get buried on the bottom of the victory dog pile. *** Also posted in full (thanks, Eye Black!) in our season-long Timber Rattlers feature article archive thread...

Congrats to catcher Dustin Houle, on his way to Brevard County (his tweet), taking the open roster spot from Cameron Garfield's release. Also moving up, to Helena from Maryvale, is 21st round N.C. State LHP Jon Olczak (his tweet).

http://montanamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/mary-1.jpg July 24th (Montana magazine) -- We were very saddened to hear of the passing of Mary Gunstone last week. Mary was featured in our May/June 2015 issue in a feature that introduced us to her passion for the Helena Brewers baseball team. *** God bless you, Mary -- you represented so much about what the game of baseball can represent -- Jim (Mass Haas)

Saturday's Farmhand Birthday -- Happy 20th to very promising Timber Rattlers RHP David Burkhalter!

DVR ALERT! Tonight's Timber Rattlers game is on local MyNew32 TV, 6:30 airtime.

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Biloxi Media Notes - Linked on the Shuck Dynasty blog Brevard County Media Notes - It's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Multimedia" banner on the Manatees' site. 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 de Macoris *** Sortable individual stat pages: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers *** Weather.com: Omaha, NE Pensacola, FL Viera, FL Grand Chute, WI Helena, MT Maryvale, AZ San Pedro de Macoris, DR

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

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Colorado Springs: RHP Drew Gagnon at Omaha (Royals), 5:35 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link We welcome Dan Karcher, who is the longtime play-by-play voice of the Sky Sox; follow him on Twitter @SkySoxKarch 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: LHP Hobbs Johnson at Pensacola (Reds), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link We also welcome Chris Harris as the very first play-by-play voice of the Shuckers! Follow Chris on Twitter @CHarris731. We'll be linking to his fantastic "Shuck Dynasty" blog. 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! NOTE: Pensacola does provide MiLB.TV coverage for this series (Blue Wahoos' feed, naturally) ********** Brevard County: First, it's RHP Cy Sneed picking up where they left off in Thursday's suspended game (bottom of the 1st, review the game log here) and RHP Brandon Woodruff in the regularly scheduled nightcap. The games will be played at home in Space Coast Stadium, but St. Lucie (Mets) is the home team in the completion of the suspended game, 3:30 PM pre-game, 4:00 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Free Live Audio Link Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio, as all home games and the "commuter" road games are scheduled to be broadcast in 2015. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: LHP Kodi Medeiros at home vs. Clinton (Mariners), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link - WNAM 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. NOTE: Forty-two (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (34) 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. So, for the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sky Sox games, most Shuckers games, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games. *** Helena: RHP J.B. Kole at home vs. Billings (Reds), 7:45 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link We welcome back and again look forward to hearing second-year Voice of the H-Crew Dustin Daniel (@dustin__daniel on Twitter). MiLB.TV -- When the H-Crew makes their way to Idaho Falls in August, those games will be available to watch online. *** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the baby Cubbies, 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league *** DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cubs, 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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Do yourself a favor and read this April feature from Montana Magazine Helena resident has become the ultimate minor league baseball fan By Gabriel Furshong Tickets were just a couple dollars when Mary Gunstone began attending Helena Brewers baseball games in 1985, but she got into her first game for free. It was Buttrey’s Food and Drug night at the ballpark and employees were given complimentary tickets. Gunstone was a baker at the store and also served as the staff photographer. She took her camera to that first game, started snapping photos of the players – and never stopped. In the three decades since, Gunstone has only missed two games: the first for her father’s funeral and the second for her 50th class reunion. “I told them they should have it at the ballpark, but they didn’t do that for me,” she said, with a touch of regret. Across the country, there are more than 200 minor league teams associated with Major League Baseball, from Los Angeles, California, to Danville, Virginia, and as the list of cities descends from large to small, there is a reverse correlation between the celebrity of the game and the intimacy of the experience. Helena lies at the bottom of that list, among the Top 10 smallest markets in all of professional baseball. Since 1978, Helena has hosted a team in the Pioneer League, an advanced rookie league with eight teams located five rungs down the ladder from the MLB. Here, 90 percent of the tickets go for less than $8 and game-day availability is never a problem. Attendance in 2012 was just 880 fans per game, a third of the league average. Gunstone, however, is one fan the Brewers have learned to count on. Her commitment, especially at this low level of minor league baseball, has not gone unnoticed. “It seems like every ballpark has some fan or special story about a fan who frequents those games,” said Paul Fetz, Brewers general manager. “But I’ve never in my 25 years in the game encountered a fan who does what she does, the effort she puts forward for these players.” *** When Buttrey’s Food and Drug closed in 2008, Gunstone was forced to retire after 37 years with the store. She now spends roughly $3,000 of her pension each year to print a small photo album for every player as a season-ending gift. Several years ago, she brought two of the albums to a game in a plastic grocery bag for me to see. Seated in the stands, her toes barely touched the ground. Then, at 71 years old, her short stature and round frame projected a matronly appearance, and her tendency to finish sentences with a self-amused giggle only enhanced the image of a good-natured grandmother. “The summer I first started I would just take different pictures and give them to (players),” she explained with a quiet laugh. “Well, that didn’t work out too well because some players would get hurt because they didn’t get one, so I decided I’d better give all the players one.” Each page of the two albums, from the ’89 and ’95 seasons, contained a portrait of a player in the locker room or on the field. On the last pages were portraits of Gunstone herself, standing tall and wearing a proud smile. “If I’m not here then they ask where I’m at,” she said, looking up from the albums. “I feel like I belong to the team.” Gunstone shares the joys and heartaches of the seasons with the team, too. Take for example, the 2013 league championship game. By mid-September that year, the Brewers had completed an impressive run to a 10th league championship berth in 36 years. They were knotted at one game apiece in a three-game series with the Idaho Falls Chukars, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The deciding game was scheduled for Sept. 16, at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena. The morning dawned dreary and cold. Gunstone hadn’t missed a game all season and despite the bad weather, arrived at the park an hour early. By the third or fourth inning, the gravel parking area, wedged between a Coca-Cola distribution center and the third base bleachers, would be filled with the voices of grade-school boys zigzagging between parked cars in pursuit of foul balls. But an hour before game time, the lot was nearly empty. Inside the park, a young man in a Brewers jacket and cap was hastily toweling off seats in the front row of the 82-year-old grandstand. Gunstone sat nearby, perched on a metal folding chair in her usual pre-game spot just above the home dugout, nose-to-nose with the safety netting behind home plate. As always, she wore a Milwaukee Brewers warm up jacket and a Helena Brewers ball cap, which seemed to float on top of her curly grey hair. “Every time they win a championship, they’re always out of town,” she said. “And I told them once that I’d like to see it done here.” Sitting on the edge of her seat, fidgeting with her camera lens, she was the picture of a fretful parent as the players began their warm up tosses. It was easy to see why her maternal instincts were triggered. A review of the 35-man roster revealed an average age of 23, and while a major league payday may be in store for a few of them, their chances of playing even one game in the big leagues hovers around 7 percent. For now, they’re just kids making less than minimum wage, wondering whether they’ll need to find a second job in the off-season. “I’ve lived in Helena all my life and never married so I adopt these kids all summer.” Gunstone said. “This is my family here, the kids I call them.” *** It was a few minutes before the first pitch of the deciding game and people were flowing into the park steadily, most with blankets under their arms. The sun had dipped below the Continental Divide to the west and a low fog engulfed the lights, creating four dewy halos above the outfield grass. The temperature was 48 degrees at first pitch and fans could see their breath as they settled into orange plastic seats, recycled from the Oakland Coliseum and still marked with the green and yellow Athletics logo. The game started slowly, but a 0-0 tie was broken in the top of the fourth after a Brewers error, a walk, and a three-run homer by the Chukars catcher, Frank Schwindel. The Chukars tacked on three more runs in the next two innings for a 6-0 lead by the seventh inning stretch. The game’s announcer began to lead a disheartened crowd in a chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Some fans were singing despite the shutout, but Gunstone sat silently at the end of her row. “Oh, I’m so sad I could just cry,” she said. “They’re just giving it to them. But I have to support them anyway.” It took only 20 more minutes for the season to end and even less for 1,500 people to clear out of the tiny ballpark. By the time the trophy was presented to the Chukars manager, there was only a sprinkling of dejected fans left and Gunstone sat among them. *** The following spring arrived late after a long winter that dumped heavy snowfall in almost every mountain range across Montana. The gates of Kindrick Legion opened for the first game of the 2014 season on June 16 in a light but steady rain. Gunstone was already at her post, hovering above the home dugout in a navy blue poncho that covered her head-to-toe. She leaned on the handles of a walker and when she turned I could see plastic tubes resting under her nose, leading to a green oxygen tank at her feet. “I had two cataract surgeries in March and got pneumonia in April,” she said with a ragged voice. “One doctor sent me to another doctor and finally I said, ‘You’ve gotta get me healthy, baseball season is coming!’ ” Though her cheeks were sunken, her smile was just as warm as it had been the season before. At game time, the Brewers picked up where they left off nine months earlier and by the seventh inning stretch, the Missoula Osprey, an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate, were leading 8-2. The drizzle had grown into a steady rain and Gunstone had abandoned her folding chair to seek shelter under the roof of the grandstand. As we sat down for the bottom half of the inning, I noticed a silver ball-and-glove pendant on her cap. “That was a gift from Tristan’s parents,” she said, removing her hat to see the pendant for herself. Tristan Archer was a right-handed pitcher who threw 38 innings with the Brewers in 2013. Gunstone met his parents at Kindrick Legion one evening early in the summer. She took pictures of Archer all summer and gave them to him to share with his parents. Late in the season, a card arrived to the ballpark addressed to the “photographer lady.” The pendant was tucked inside with a note from Archer’s parents, reading “Thanks for all the photos of Tristan. He sure loves you.” Archer finished the season with a respectable 3.08 earned run average and was promoted to the Single-A team in Appelton, Wisconsin. It’s unlikely that Gunstone will ever see him again, but she wore the pendant proudly as she looked out onto a rain-soaked field full of new faces. Out of a 32-man roster, only two men had played in Helena the previous year. “They don’t know me yet,” she said, chasing the sentence with her characteristic giggle. “But they will.” *** http://montanamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/mary-1.jpg July 24th (Montana magazine) -- We were very saddened to hear of the passing of Mary Gunstone last week. Mary was featured in our May/June 2015 issue in a feature that introduced us to her passion for the Helena Brewers baseball team. *** God bless you, Mary -- you represented so much about what the game of baseball can represent -- Jim (Mass Haas)

Do yourself a wonderful favor and read this April feature from Montana Magazine Helena resident has become the ultimate minor league baseball fan By Gabriel Furshong *** God bless you, Mary -- you represented so much about what the game of baseball can represent -- Jim (Mass Haas)

Final: Omaha 4, Colorado Springs 2 Early Runs Help Omaha Chase Sox In 4-2 Loss Three First-Inning Runs Enough for Storm Chasers as Sox Drop Opener By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox http://www.milb.com/assets/images/4/8/0/137161480/cuts/04_11_037_pk_h9iuvv9f_wu5462cm.jpg Jason Rogers' late solo blast would not be enough as the offense mustered only three more hits in Friday's loss. (File photo from prior game by Paat Kelly) Colorado Springs followed consecutive exhilarating walk-off victories with a modest offensive performance on Friday night, falling 4-2 in their series opener with the Omaha Storm Chasers before a crowd of 8,192 at Werner Park. Elian Herrera and Matt Clark helped the Sox to a quick start with first-inning doubles against Omaha lefty Buddy Baumann. Clark would record his 48th RBI of the season with the two-out two-bagger, giving his team a 1-0 lead through half an inning. The Sky Sox did not hold the lead for long as starter Hiram Burgos (2-2, 3.66) would face seven Storm Chasers in the home first, allowing three runs on four hits and a hit batsman. An RBI double by Jose Martinez knocked in Omaha's first run to tie it before Bret Eibner and Francisco Pena singled home runs, with one and two outs respectively, to provide the home team a 3-1 lead after one inning of play. Burgos would settle down and pitch beautifully from that point on, serving up just two more hits over his final five frames. In all, the right-hander went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three to salvage a quality start for his squad. After Baumann provided the Storm Chasers with 3.2 innings of two-hit ball, right-hander Brian Broderick (5-3, 2.31) tossed 2.1 perfect innings to keep the Sox offense to just two hits through six innings of play. The Sox would break Omaha's six-inning scoreless streak in the seventh thanks to a Jason Rogers solo blast off of left-hander Troy Patton. The long ball drew the Sky Sox within one run of tying the ballgame as Omaha led 3-2 going to the eighth. The Storm Chasers extended their lead against Ariel Pena in the eighth as Eibner drove in his second run of the night with a solo shot of his own. In his second inning of work, Casey Coleman would shut the Colorado Springs offense down in the ninth to secure the 4-2 victory for his team. Coleman's first save helped Omaha improve to 56-44 while dropping the Sox to 40-57 on the season. The Sky Sox collected just four hits on the night, all coming from the lineup's first four batters. Colorado Springs will look to get back in the win column on Saturday night as they take on these same Storm Chasers in game two of a four-game set. The Sox send Drew Gagnon (1-10,6.96) to the mound against Omaha lefty Brandon Finnegan (0-2, 8.25) with first pitch set for 5:05 PM MDT (6:05 Central) from Werner Park. Colorado Springs Box Score It was a costly final out of the game for the Royals' Futures Game participant (and indy ball signee) first baseman Balbino Fuenmayor - read what happened here. Not much going on as evidenced by -- Team RISP: 1-for-4. Team LOB: 1. Colorado Springs Game Log Welcome back, Jim Henderson (out since June 18th) Omaha Bottom of the 7th Defensive Substitution: Pete Orr replaces first baseman Matt Clark, batting 4th, playing third base. Defensive switch from third base to first base for Matt Dominguez. Pitching Change: Jim Henderson replaces Hiram Burgos. Angel Franco walks. With Whit Merrifield batting, Angel Franco caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Nevin Ashley to second baseman Luis Sardinas. Whit Merrifield grounds out, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to first baseman Matt Dominguez. Reymond Fuentes walks. With Jose Martinez batting, Reymond Fuentes steals (16) 2nd base. With Jose Martinez batting, Reymond Fuentes steals (17) 3rd base. Jose Martinez grounds out, second baseman Luis Sardinas to first baseman Matt Dominguez. *** Ejections: Colorado Springs Sky Sox first baseman Matt Clark ejected by HP umpire Jeff Morrow (7th) Col. Springs Top of the 7th Pitching Change: Troy Patton replaces Brian Broderick. Jason Rogers homers (7) on a fly ball to left field. Matt Clark called out on strikes. Colorado Springs Sky Sox first baseman Matt Clark ejected by HP umpire Jeff Morrow. Matt Dominguez flies out to center fielder Reymond Fuentes. Nevin Ashley flies out to center fielder Reymond Fuentes.

Final: Billings 4, Helena 3 Mustangs score 2 in 9th to win 4-3 Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (16-18) squandered a late lead to give the Billings Mustangs (14-20) a comeback 4-3 win on Friday at Kindrick Field. Joshua Torres was outstanding in the start for Helena, throwing five shutout innings and striking out two. He would allow just three hits. The Brewers grabbed the first lead of the ballgame with a run in the bottom of the first. Omar Cotto led off with a walk from Jacob Constante and scored later on the sacrifice fly from Steven Karkenny. Karkenny led the Helena offense with a 3-for-3 performance, adding two doubles, one RBI, and a run. Constante pitched the first six frames for Billings, giving up three runs on four hits and striking out six. It was a season-high for Constante in innings pitched and strikeouts. The Brewers would take a 3-2 lead to the top of the ninth, but it would not last. Junior Rincon (2-3) blew his third save of the season, giving up two runs in the inning. Tyler Stephenson came up with a one-out double, his second hit of the night. With men at second and third and two outs, Dalton Carter ripped a two-RBI double to right-center to score Stephenson and Reydel Medina. Rincon is now 2-for-5 in save attempts. Helena threatened in the bottom of the ninth, getting men on the corners, but a grounder to short from Carlos Belonis would the game. The Mustangs and Brewers will face off in the second and final game of their two-game series Saturday at Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). Helena Box Score RHP Junior Rincon, released by the Marlins after his 2013 season, throws hard, but he's deflating his squad (and the Link Reports). Helena Game Log The bottom of the 9th was even more depressing than the top, my goodness -- Billings Top of the 9th Pitching Change: Junior Rincon replaces Nate Griep. Kevin Franklin flies out to right fielder Carlos Belonis. Tyler Stephenson singles on a ground ball to second baseman George Iskenderian. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Zach Shields replaces Tyler Stephenson. Reydel Medina singles on a line drive to center fielder Omar Cotto. Zach Shields to 3rd. With Hector Vargas batting, Reydel Medina steals (5) 2nd base. Hector Vargas strikes out swinging. Dalton Carter doubles (4) on a fly ball to center fielder Omar Cotto. Zach Shields scores. Reydel Medina scores. Mitch Piatnik pops out to second baseman George Iskenderian. Helena Bottom of the 9th Defensive Substitution: Mitch Trees replaces Zach Shields, batting 5th, playing catcher. Pitching Change: Tyler Parmenter replaces Jake Johnson. George Iskenderian singles on a fly ball to center fielder Mitch Piatnik. With Dustin Houle batting, wild pitch by Tyler Parmenter, George Iskenderian to 2nd. Dustin Houle singles on a bunt ground ball to catcher Mitch Trees. George Iskenderian to 3rd. Troy Stokes strikes out swinging. Milan Post strikes out swinging. Carlos Belonis grounds out, shortstop Blake Trahan to first baseman Kevin Franklin.

VIDEO: A second look at the Wisconsin game highlights, this time via the MyNew32 TV broadcast

Rattler Radio Blog Postgame Entry -- Five breif postgame audio interviews, a nice Elvis Rubio photo, and these highlights --

Via the MLB Tribune, a fascinating look at the Dominican players' introduction to pro ball via the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista

Via the MLB Tribune, a fascinating look at the Dominican players' introduction to pro ball via the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista

Fans of Biloxi's Nick Ramirez will find three photos at the link for the Pensacola News-Journal game story. *** From the NorthEscambia.com game story -- Pensacola Manager Pat Kelly said Wagner was impressive. “He singlehandedly won the game for them,” Kelly said. “He was throwing a helluva game. We got some guys on base but he didn’t give us a lot of opportunities.”

Moeller’s Suter still shucking for the Brewers Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/448f07e85e8b8f603e65b8fad269b8359bcfc6b8/c=0-216-2624-2184&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/07/24/Cincinnati/B9318144334Z.1_20150724135526_001_G9DBCVJ0H.1-0.jpg Brent Suter of the Biloxi Shuckers uses his 6-foot-5 frame to stretch toward home. Suter played high school baseball at Moeller and in college at Harvard. (Photo: Thanks to Ed Gardner) KODAK, TENN. – As the bus pulls up to load the Biloxi Shuckers after their 9-2 win over the Tennessee Smokies, Brent Suter retreats to his personal car, complete with the Moeller High School license tag holder. *** Also posted in full in our season-long Shuckers feature article thread for archiving purposes...

Moeller’s Suter still shucking for the Brewers Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/448f07e85e8b8f603e65b8fad269b8359bcfc6b8/c=0-216-2624-2184&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/07/24/Cincinnati/B9318144334Z.1_20150724135526_001_G9DBCVJ0H.1-0.jpg Brent Suter of the Biloxi Shuckers uses his 6-foot-5 frame to stretch toward home. Suter played high school baseball at Moeller and in college at Harvard. (Photo: Thanks to Ed Gardner) KODAK, TENN. – As the bus pulls up to load the Biloxi Shuckers after their 9-2 win over the Tennessee Smokies, Brent Suter retreats to his personal car, complete with the Moeller High School license tag holder. The former Crusader and Anderson Township resident has his fiance, Erin Shafer, with him for the summer and the pair will make the eight and a half hour overnight drive to Biloxi with an off day ahead. It’s a luxury the Shuckers allow the players with wives, fiances or girlfriends. For a AA baseball player, the miles and towns are a blur. Because Brewers affiliate moved from Huntsville to Biloxi, where the stadium was not yet finished, the Shuckers played their first 55 games on the road. “It was actually a lot of fun,” Suter said. “It was just baseball and hanging with the guys. A lot of video games and cards. Everyone was in the same spot, so it was a team building experience.” Suter’s fiance is an elementary school teacher, so she’s had the recent weeks off and has been able to share rides with the reliever who turns 26 Aug. 29. In places like Tennessee, that may mean a side trip to Margaritaville in Pigeon Forge or other such tourist attractions. “She gets a nice little tour of the South and meets a lot of new friends and enjoys it,” Suter said. The lanky lefty has had stops in Helena, Wisconsin, Brevard County, Huntsville and now Biloxi. The Shuckers play in MGM Park, one of the newest facilities in minor league baseball. “It’s modeled after Pensacola’s stadium,” Suter said. “It’s right next to the water and by the casinos. The fans are kind of right on you. If it’s not a sellout, it feels like a sellout and the fans have been bringing it every night.” At presstime, Suter had the second-best ERA in the Southern League. A starter last season, he has pitched in the bullpen this year and spot-started effectively. He has been pitcher of the week in 2013 for Brevard County and again this season with Biloxi. He was an organization All Star for the Brewers two seasons ago and a mid-season All Star with the Huntsville team last year. “The biggest thing for me is being ready to throw the day after pitching in a game,” Suter said. “As a starter, I hardly even picked up a ball the day after I started. The arm conditioning is a little different.” Though known by many in Cincinnati as a Moeller man, his Harvard education often catches the eye of his teammates and opponents. “A lot of guys tease me,” Suter said chuckling. “I don’t know if I fit into the Harvard stereotype or not. I’m just goofy me.” Suter is one of several Moeller players currently looking to make the “show” including Alex Wimmers, David Whitehead and Tom Belza. Eric Surkamp recently got a call-up from the Dodgers. This off-season, Suter and Shafer have a December wedding planned. She will have the holiday break off from school and he will be awaiting the spring in Arizona for the chance to pitch next to or with the Brewers’ big-leaguers.