MassBrew

Helena Independent Record Game Story: Stingy Stetter pitches Brewers back into first By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 08/22/03 The friendly confines of Kindrick-Legion Field have been especially kind to Helena Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter this season and that didn't change Thursday night. The Brewers' left-hander has made six appearances in the Helena ball park this season and he has allowed just two earned runs and has a 1.17 ERA in that span. Stetter gave up just one earned run in five innings work Thursday night and struck out seven as the Brewers shut down Ogden 3-1 in a Pioneer League contest. "Every ball park is different and when you start pitching well in one you start to think, ?This is pretty fun,' " said Brewers pitching coach Mark Littell. The win gave the Brewers sole possession of first place in the North Division of the Pioneer League. Helena (39-23, 14-10) owns a one-game lead over Great Falls. The White Sox fell to Idaho Falls Thursday night. Stetter, a 16th round pick by the Brewers this season, breezed through the first four innings. allowing just two base runners. In the fourth, Ogden shortstop Chin-Lung Hu led off the inning with a single, but Stetter rebounded to strike out the next three batters to close out the inning. "Stetter did a super job," Littell said. "He worked ahead and challenged hitters. He changed speeds and used the inner half of the plate better." While Stetter was shutting down the Raptors, Ogden starter Jordan Pratt was holding the Brewers in check. Guilder Rodriguez led off the game with a bunt single and he came home on a ground out by Manny Ramirez, but that would be the only run that Helena was able to muster until fifth. Carlos Corporan, a recent addition to the Brewers roster, and Robbie Deevers hit to back singles to start the inning. The next batter was Andri Gomez who hit a line drive to Pratt who tried to get the force play at third. However, Ogden third baseman Juan Gonzalez couldn't handle the throw and Corporan came home on the error. Deevers would also score in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez. That would be enough for for the Brewers pitching staff as Ty Taubenheim came in for Stetter in the sixth and pitched three spotless innings. Dana Eveland picked up his 12th save of the season. The Brewers scratched together five hits in the game and no Brewer got more than one hit in the contest. The Raptors were led by Ryan Carter who went 3-for-4 in the game with a double. Terry Trofholz had three stolen bases to give him 32 for the season. The team record for stolen bases is 34 by Darryl Hamilton in 1986. Helena now has won two in a row and they split the four-game series with the Raptors. The Brewers won the season series with Ogden 4-3. Helena will start a three-game series at home tonight against the South Division leaders, the Provo Angels. Carlos Ramirez will get the start for Helena. Helena Site with just an additional detail or two: Mitch Stetter picked up his sixth win of the season as Helena beat Ogden 3-1 Thursday Night before a crowd of 1,682 in Helena. The Brewers continued to steal everything that was not nailed down swiping five on the night. With the victory Helena improves to 14-10 on the second half and 39-23 overall. Terry Trofholz went one-for-three with three stolen bases and a walk for the Brewers. Guilder Rodriguez added a hit and an RBI as well as stealing a base. Stetter pitched five innings of four-hit ball allowing just one run while striking out seven. Ty Taubenheim pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Dana Eveland pitched the ninth to pick up his league leading 12 save. Provo comes to town Friday night at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) for game one of a weekend series. Helena Box Score: GAME DATE: 8/21/03 OGDEN 1 AT HELENA 3 YTD YTD OGDEN AB R H BI AVG HELENA AB R H BI AVG A.De Aza CF 4 0 0 0 .253 G.Rodriguez 2B 3 1 1 1 .231 C.Hu SS 4 0 1 0 .303 T.Trofholz CF 3 0 1 0 .350 R.Martin CAT 4 0 1 0 .266 D.Anderson LF 2 0 0 0 .326 L.Castillo DH 4 0 1 0 .294 M.Ramirez DH 4 0 1 1 .349 J.Milons LF 4 0 1 0 .305 B.Whitney 1B 3 0 0 0 .297 G.Comfort 1B 3 1 1 0 .280 V.Rottino 3B 4 0 0 0 .350 R.Carter RF 4 0 3 0 .320 C.Corporan CAT 3 1 1 0 .286 D.Laurin 2B 2 0 0 0 .221 R.Deevers RF 3 1 1 0 .314 A.Laroche PH 1 0 0 0 .000 A.Gomez SS 3 0 0 0 .205 J.Gonzalez 3B 3 0 0 1 .234 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Pratt PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.White PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Schmoll PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 1 8 1 TOTALS 28 3 5 2 OGDEN 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0- 1 8 1 HELENA 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 X- 3 5 0 E--J.Gonzalez. DP--OGDEN 0, HELENA 1. LOB--OGDEN 8, HELENA 6. 2B-- R.Martin (10), R.Carter (12). SB--R.Carter (7), G.Rodriguez (24), T.Trofholz 3 (32), D.Anderson (6). HBP--D.Anderson. SF--J.Gonzalez, G.Rodriguez. SH--B.Whitney. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA OGDEN J.Pratt (L,0-7) 4.2 3 3 1 1 1 0 8.25 M.White 2.1 1 0 0 0 3 0 4.26 S.Schmoll 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 3.13 HELENA M.Stetter (W,6-2) 5.0 4 1 1 1 7 0 4.63 T.Taubenheim 3.0 3 0 0 0 3 0 2.49 D.Eveland (S,12) 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2.08 HB--J.Pratt. WP--M.Stetter. SO--A.De Aza 2, R.Martin, L.Castillo 2, J.Milons 2, G.Comfort, R.Carter, D.Laurin, A.Laroche, J.Gonzalez, G.Rodriguez, M.Ramirez 2, B.Whitney, C.Corporan, R.Deevers. BB-- G.Comfort, D.Laurin, T.Trofholz, D.Anderson. T--2:25. A--1682

Beloit Box Score: GAME DATE: 8/21/03 BELOIT 0 AT CEDAR RAPIDS 3 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG CEDAR RAPIDS AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs LF 2 0 0 0 .288 Q.Cosby CF 3 1 0 0 .244 T.Gwynn CF 4 0 0 0 .277 E.Aybar SS 3 1 1 0 .298 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 0 0 .333 A.Pavkovich 3B 2 0 1 0 .333 P.Fielder 1B 3 0 0 0 .312 A.Callaspo 2B 4 0 0 2 .328 T.Hinton RF 3 0 1 0 .234 G.Porter LF 4 0 0 0 .294 J.VandenBrg CAT 3 0 0 0 .304 C.Maher DH 3 0 0 0 .239 C.Crabbe DH 3 0 0 0 .266 J.Abruzzo CAT 4 0 0 0 .267 A.Heether 3B 3 0 0 0 .224 J.Mathis 1B 3 0 0 0 .238 C.Terni SS 2 0 1 0 .238 B.Weed RF 3 1 2 0 .267 C.Carpenter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Moreno PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Alliston PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Carroll PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Breslow PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Lincoln PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 27 0 2 0 TOTALS 29 3 4 2 BELOIT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 2 2 CEDAR RAPIDS 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 X- 3 4 0 E--R.Weeks, J.VandenBrg. DP--BELOIT 0, CEDAR RAPIDS 0. LOB--BELOIT 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 7. 2B--E.Aybar (28), A.Pavkovich (4). SB--E.Aybar 2 (28), B.Weed 2 (16). CS--K.Bibbs. HBP--C.Terni. SH--K.Bibbs. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT C.Carpenter (L,3-5) 6.0 3 2 2 3 2 0 3.31 J.Alliston 1.0 1 1 0 2 0 0 2.73 C.Breslow 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 5.59 CEDAR RAPIDS A.Moreno (W,1-0) 7.0 2 0 0 1 6 0 0.00 J.Carroll 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.08 M.Lincoln (S,1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.32 HB--A.Moreno. WP--C.Carpenter, J.Alliston. SO--T.Gwynn 2, R.Weeks, P.Fielder, T.Hinton, C.Crabbe, A.Heether, C.Terni, G.Porter, C.Maher 2, J.Abruzzo, J.Mathis. BB--K.Bibbs, Q.Cosby, E.Aybar, A.Pavkovich 2, C.Maher. T--2:26. A--2082

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville Update: TAG ALONGI have to wonder if the Stars are going to have enough gas in the tank when the playoffs come on September 3. They are hitting just .224 in August. They have scored 68 runs this month, averaging 3.4 runs per game with 11 games left. Their lowest in any one month this season was 111 in May........ Despite the offensive lag, they are playing tag with Birmingham, a half game under, as they have been for the last four days, thanks to the league-leading pitching staff....... Both Birmingham and the Diamond Jaxx finished the 2nd half two games under .500, so this is an important four-game series for these two teams. Tonight, the Barons lost 6-4. The Stars faced potential Championship opponent Donnie Bridges tonight and pitching coach Stan Kyles was impressed. "Bridges reminded me of a big league pitcher," he said. "He didn't give us a whole lot of good pitches to hit."......... Bridges climbs a notch to 4th among the Southern League's ERA leaders........ Not only did Bridges throw two-hit ball for seven innings, but he also drove in both of Carolina's runs, driving a 2-2 Liriano fastball through the middle of the infield with the bases loaded in the 5th....... It was no lucky shot either. Bridges was hitting .370 entering the game........ Bridges became the Mudcats first 10-game winner this season. Pedro Liriano set down the first 11 batters to face him, while Bridges retired the first eight batters before Liriano looped a single inside the right field line in the 3rd...... Corey Hart singled to start off the 9th, but then Carolina closer Mike Flannery retired the next three hitters, striking out Noochie Varner and Brad Nelson to end the game........ Varner was ejected after yelling something at home plate ump Brian Kennedy. That delayed the end of the game by four minutes while Varner gathered his belongings in the dugout and headed to the clubhouse. I didn't hear the game, so there's not much in the way of details I can add, but then, there's no much more that can be said, either....... And there's not much more I'll be able to say the next few days. I'm leaving on another short vacation in Memphis. I'll be back Tuesday to see the second of a four-game series vs. Birmingham, but there will no update here until Wednesday, so I can play catch-up with the box scores. Jason Shelley (3-0, 1.80) will go to the mound against righty Mick Ungs (2-4, 3.98). The Stars have not seen him either....... The Stars, 12-7 against Carolina the last two seasons, have won three of four meetings this season, with three to go. The Mudcats and Stars met eight times in 1995, so this will be the shortest season series between these two teams in their history......... Bridges and Liriano entered the evening one-two in the SL in walks......... Both teams are one-two in the league in stolen bases, with the Stars in front. The Stars have stolen 160 bases this year, 18 from the club record set by the 1st Brewer-affiliated Stars team in 1999....... Dave Krynzel struck out in his 13th consecutive game, tying a record in the Brewers era of Stars baseball with Chad Green........ Krynzel's average has dropped 25 points since August 1. He's 8-for-68 this month (.118). Will he back to his old self in September?........ In 1985, the Stars won their first SL Championship, despite the fact that leading HR hitter Rob Nelson (32 HRs), hit .210 in the final two months of the season and Terry Steinbach, a .300 hitter throughout the middle of the season, hit only .194 the final month. Steiny came back to hit .357 in the post-season and Nelson hit 2 HRs and drove in 8 runs....... So you just can't close the book on Krinkles. That's just baseball. See you next week.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=291

High Desert 3, Bakersfield (Devil Rays) 2 Mavs Win! Mavs Win! High Desert Site Game Summary: BAKERSFIELD, CA - The High Desert Mavericks ended their nine-game losing streak on Thursday night, defeating the Bakerfield Blaze by a final score of 3-2 at Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield. The win is the Mavs first against the Blaze this season in six attempts. They improve to 14-46 in the second half and 39-91 overall. Two unearned runs gave the Mavs the early lead. Ralph Santana reached in the first inning on Luis DePaula's first of two errors on the night. Santana later scored on Froilan Villanueva's RBI single off Blaze starter Jarrett Campbell (3-4) for a 1-0 lead. The Mavs went up 2-0 as Joel Alvarado walked, moved to second on another DePaula error, and scored on Scott Candelaria's sac fly. The Blaze got a run back against Mavs reliever Danny Stout in the third to close to within 2-1. Brian Martin opened the inning with a single and later scored on an RBI groundout by Edgar Gonzalez. The Mavs added a huge insurance run in the eighth, as Candelaria singled with two outs, and then scored on Villanueva's RBI double. Villanueva finished the night with two hits and two RBIs, giving him a team-best 62. Tony Stavros allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth, as the Blaze pulled to within a run at 3-2. DePaula doubled to open the inning, and after moving to third on a passed ball, scored on a sac fly by Gonzalez. Stavros settled down and worked a scoreless ninth, earning his second save of the year, stranding the tying run at first base. Stout (2-1) got the win for the Mavs, allowing one run in three innings of relief. Mavs starter J.M. Gold pitched two scoreless innings, but after taking the mound in the third, removed himself after feeling severe discomfort in his right arm. The Mavs head to Modesto on Friday night looking to make it two straight wins on the six-game road trip. Dan Hall (6-12) takes on Brad Weis of the A's. Game time from Modesto is at 7:05 (9:05 Central). High Desert Box Score: GAME DATE: 8/21/03 HIGH DESERT 3 AT BAKERSFIELD 2 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG BAKERSFIELD AB R H BI AVG C.Morris CF 4 0 0 0 .259 B.Martin CF 4 1 1 0 .285 R.Santana RF 4 1 2 0 .289 L.De Paula 2B 4 1 2 0 .252 S.Candelaria 1B 3 1 1 1 .285 E.Gonzalez 3B 3 0 1 2 .272 F.Villanueva 3B 4 0 2 2 .296 A.Clark 1B 4 0 1 0 .250 J.Toner DH 4 0 0 0 .229 A.Bonner RF 4 0 1 0 .309 J.Raburn LF 3 0 0 0 .283 L.Mateo DH 4 0 1 0 .292 T.West 2B 4 0 1 0 .240 J.Arhart CAT 4 0 0 0 .253 O.Chavez SS 3 0 0 0 .233 H.Kelly SS 3 0 0 0 .148 J.Alvarado CAT 3 1 0 0 .138 I.Centeno LF 4 0 1 0 .233 J.Gold PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Campbell PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Stout PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Crawford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Dean PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Stavros PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 3 6 3 TOTALS 34 2 8 2 HIGH DESERT 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0- 3 6 1 BAKERSFIELD 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0- 2 8 2 E--F.Villanueva, L.De Paula 2. DP--HIGH DESERT 0, BAKERSFIELD 0. LOB--HIGH DESERT 6, BAKERSFIELD 7. 2B--F.Villanueva (21), T.West (19), L.De Paula 2 (18), A.Clark (25), A.Bonner (7), L.Mateo (25), I.Centeno (5). SB--C.Morris (65), R.Santana 2 (38). CS--R.Santana, L.Mateo. HBP-- H.Kelly. SF--S.Candelaria, E.Gonzalez. SH--O.Chavez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT J.Gold 2.0 3 0 0 0 1 0 6.65 D.Stout (W,2-1) 3.0 3 1 1 0 4 0 6.29 A.Dean 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 6.37 T.Stavros (S,2) 2.0 1 1 0 0 2 0 4.60 BAKERSFIELD J.Campbell (L,3-4) 6.0 3 2 0 1 7 0 2.96 C.Crawford 3.0 3 1 1 1 1 0 4.00 HB--T.Stavros. WP--A.Dean. PB--J.Alvarado. SO--R.Santana, S.Candelaria, F.Villanueva 2, J.Toner 2, O.Chavez, J.Alvarado, B.Martin 2, E.Gonzalez, A.Bonner, L.Mateo, J.Arhart 3, H.Kelly, I.Centeno. BB--J.Raburn, J.Alvarado. T--2:59. A--1339

Beloit Game Summary from the Cedar Rapids Site: Turns out RHP Calvin Carpenter got the start tonight and turned in one of his better performances as of late -- LHP Eric Henderson goes tomorrow; looks like the Angels have a tremendously hot pitching prospect on their hands; a Kernel insurance run scored on a Rickie Weeks error, his fifth thus far... This link includes the always nice box score with pitch counts -- we'll paste the SportsTicker box with updated averages and ERA's on Friday AM... www.kernels.com/Pages/Boxscores/821.html

Helena 3, Ogden (Dodgers) 1 Just finished listening to this one -- Stetter, Taubenheim, and Eveland all solid on the mound again tonight; Dana put the first two men on in the ninth before closing it out without any damage; Brewers take advantage of the lone Raptor error to punch across their three runs -- details by morning...

Cedar Rapids (Angels) 3, Beloit 0 LHP Eric Henderson apparently pitched well... MID FINAL R H E - - - BELOIT 0 2 2 CEDAR RAPIDS 3 4 0

Indy Site Game Summary: COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Drew Henson, whose two-out error in the top of the ninth inning allowed the visiting Indianapolis Indians to tie the score, atoned for his mistake with a game-winning double in the bottom of the inning as the Columbus Clippers came from behind for a 4-3 win Thursday night. The Indians (57-75) took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, but allowed three runs to cross the plate as the Clippers (69-64) came from behind for the second straight night. Clippers' closer Sam Marsonek (4-4) walked Doug Jennings to open the bottom of the ninth, but got Alex Delgado to hit into a double play. With two outs, the Tribe rallied for two runs to tie the game. Steve Scarborough singled sharply to center before Ryan Knox drove him home with a double to right-center. Rich Paz then hit a grounder to Henson whose throw bounced into first and got away from Fernando Seguignol. Knox came all the way around from second on the play with the tying run. Tribe reliever John Foster (2-2) issued a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth before Henson drove a ball into right-center that rolled all the way to the wall allowing Michel Hernandez to score from first with the winning run. Tribe starter Luis Martinez was masterful much of the night, but didn't get the run support he needed for a victory. Martinez, who had allowed just three runs in 31.1 innings in his first five starts with the Indians, put up goose eggs for seven innings. The lefthander scattered five hits over the first four innings before retiring 10 men in a row from the fourth through the seventh. He struck out seven and recorded 12 ground ball outs while not allowing a ball to be hit in the air. The trouble came in the eighth when Martinez opened the inning by throwing eight straight balls to Henson and Marcus Jensen, the number eight and nine hitters in the lineup. After striking out Curtis Pride for the first out, Martinez was removed for reliever Roberto Giron. Giron struck out Craig Wilson for the second out, but Bobby Smith lined a single just past Giron's glove and up the middle to drive in Henson with the tying run. Foster was brought in to face the switch-hitting Seguignol who leads the league with a .335 average. Seguignol, who hit a game-winning homer against the Tribe Wednesday, hit the first offering from Foster over Jim Rushford in left field to plate two runs and put the Clippers in the lead 3-1. The Indians scored the game's first run in the third inning. Knox led off with a single and then swiped his 11th base in 26 games before Paz singled him home. The Indians head to Louisville Friday to open a three-game series with the first-place Bats. The Tribe returns to Victory Field Monday for the final homestand of the season.

A "friend of Brewerfan" has given us a heads-up that 20-year-old RHP Tim Dillard, a Brewer draft pick in both 2001 and 2002, and a draft-and-follow signee prior to this year's draft, has been promoted from the Arizona to the Helena Brewers. Dillard has an outstanding 32-to-5 K/BB ratio and a 1.16 WHIP in 35.2 IP this summer. You know any transaction news sends us on a web search for further background, and this one proved especially fruitful. Dillard does have nine HBP's as well, and when you read about his 96 MPH sidearm delivery, you can understand why he might be tough for right-handed batters to face. Tim Dillard Profile Article (from May): www.djournal.com/pages/st...div=Sports

Thursday's Daily Menu : Brewers this afternoon; a veritable feast of minor league audio this evening, with a couple of games conveniently starting at dinner time in the midwest for those with hearty appetites... We'll be plugging in the standings for playoff-contending Huntsville, Beloit and Helena within the Daily Menu while pertinent; Huntsville's fighting for a second-half crown that would provide additional home field advantage in the playoffs; Beloit's looking to qualify with a second-half division championship -- they can also automatically qualify for the playoffs with a second-place division finish. It now appears that Helena is playing for additional home-field rights as well. All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: LHP Luis Martinez at Columbus (Yankees), 6:00 PM - Luis is the one certifiable reason to listen in on the Tribe these days Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ HUNTSVILLE: RHP Pedro Liriano is the likely starter at Carolina (Marlins), 6:05 PM Audio link: espn1450.com/ WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 32 25 .561 [b]*HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 32 26 .552 .5[/b] MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 28 30 .483 4.5 CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 27 31 .466 5.5 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 25 31 .446 6.5HIGH DESERT: RHP J.M. Gold hopes to stretch out for three-to-four innings at Bakersfield (Devil Rays), 9:15 PM; after Wednesday's fiasco, can a ten-game losing streak possibly be avoided? Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: LHP Eric Henderson at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 7:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.kernels.com/Pages/radio.html WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 37 20 .649[/b] *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 34 23 .596 3.0 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 33 25 .569 4.5 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 29 29 .500 8.5 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 29 29 .500 8.5 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 28 30 .483 9.5 %WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 25 32 .439 12.0 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 25 33 .431 12.5 HELENA: LHP Mitch Stetter vs. Ogden (Dodgers) at home, 8:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www1.infinitydesign.net/v...s.com/www/ NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]*HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 13 10 .565[/b] GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 10 .565 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 12 11 .522 1.0 BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 7 16 .304 6.0 ARIZONA: Idle

Helena Independent Record Game Story: A "Vinnie Rottino - Guilder Rodriguez Two-for-One Action Shot"! www.helenair.com/articles...103_01.txt

You have got to be kidding me, High Desert! Batman, I too, listened to this one, and when the Mavs scored three in the ninth to extend their lead to 8-3, I called it a night, citing a very late East Coast time of night and pretty comfortable that the guys had snapped their eight-game losing streak. Give up five in the bottom of the ninth?!?! %*#@& ! And yes, I too, am now a J.M. Gold fan -- great fun on his part, and he spoke very honestly and intelligently upon his own situation (off the 40-man, etc.) High Desert Site Game Summary: BAKERSFIELD, CA - On the brink of snapping an eight-game losing streak, things went sour on Wednesday night for the High Desert Mavericks. The Bakersfield Blaze got five runs in the ninth inning and finally a run in the 16th, as they defeated the Mavs by a final score of 9-8 at Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield. The game marked the longest of the season for both teams, lasting five hours and twenty minutes. Tommy Marx (0-4) allowed a leadoff double to Adam Bonner to open the 16th. After being sacrificed to third on a bunt by Heath Kelly, Bonner scored on a wild pitch that went to the backstop. Bonner's three-run homer off Bobby Bystrowski in the ninth sent the game into extra innings. For Bonner, it was his second of the night and four in five games against the Mavs this week. Mavs starter Chris Saenz left with a 5-2 lead after five innings. The right-hander struck out eight men, while allowing two earned runs on just two hits. Leading 5-3 in the ninth, High Desert added three insurance runs in the top half of the frame, but saw the 8-3 lead erased in the bottom half, as the Blaze scored five runs against Bystrowski to force extras. The Mavs got out to an early lead as Jeremy Frost's two-run blast to center field put the Mavs up 2-0 in the second. Bonner's first of two home runs, a two-run shot to right field off Saenz, knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second. The Mavs took the lead in the third, as Scott Candelaria's RBI single knocked in Froilan Villanueva for a 3-2 lead. They got one in the fourth, as Todd West's RBI single off Blaze starter Chris Seddon scored Johnny Raburn for a 4-2 lead. Raburn's second of four hits on the game, came in the fifth inning, knocking in Villanueva for a 5-2 lead. Raburn led the Mavs with four hits on the game, his second four-hit game of the year. High Desert pounded out a season-best 20 hits on the night, after being held to just five the previous night. Carlos Hines (1-1) of the Blaze got the win with three scoreless innings of relief. Justin Backsmeyer had a great outing out of the pen, going 3.2 scoreless innings, while allowing just one hit. The Mavs have now lost nine straight to tie their longest losing streak of 2003. They are just 13-46 in the second half and just 38-91 overall. They look to break a five-game skid against the Blaze on Thursday evening, as J.M. Gold (1-1) throws for the Mavs, while Jarrett Campbell (3-3) goes to the hill for the Blaze. Game time on Thursday night begins at 7:15 (9:15 Central) from Bakersfield. The Mavs finish up their series with the Blaze on Thursday then travel to Modesto for three straight games with the A's. The Mavs return to Mavericks Stadium on Tuesday, August 26th against the Lancaster JetHawks. High Desert Box Score: Gold is limited to 50-60 pitches tonight, so a worn-out pen will be extended yet again; I still can't believe this team found a way to lose this game -- ugh! HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG BAKERSFIELD AB R H BI AVG C.Morris CF 6 1 1 0 .261 B.Martin CF 4 1 1 0 .285 R.Santana DH 8 1 2 0 .287 L.De Paula 2B 7 0 0 0 .249 F.Villanueva 1B 8 2 2 1 .294 E.Gonzalez 3B 4 1 0 0 .272 S.Candelaria 3B 7 0 3 1 .284 E.Reece DH 4 0 0 0 .279 J.Raburn 2B 7 1 4 1 .285 J.Arhart PH 1 1 1 1 .257 J.Toner RF 8 1 2 0 .250 J.Arhart DH 2 0 1 0 .257 J.Frost LF 8 1 2 2 .245 C.Isenia CAT 5 3 2 1 .290 C.Lozada CAT 6 0 2 0 .370 A.Clark 1B 8 0 0 0 .250 T.West SS 6 1 2 1 .239 A.Bonner RF 7 3 3 6 .314 C.Saenz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Kelly SS 6 0 0 0 .154 J.Gordon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 I.Centeno LF 6 0 2 0 .233 A.Dean PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Seddon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Bystrowski PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Dukeman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Backsmeyer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Coose PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Marx PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Cramer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Hines PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 64 8 20 6 TOTALS 54 9 10 8 HIGH DESERT 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 8 20 1 BAKERSFIELD 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 9 10 3 E--C.Lozada, E.Gonzalez, A.Clark, H.Kelly. DP--HIGH DESERT 0, BAKERSFIELD 0. LOB--HIGH DESERT 14, BAKERSFIELD 16. 2B--F.Villanueva 2 (20), J.Toner (4), J.Frost (11), T.West (18), C.Isenia (5), A.Bonner (6). HR--J.Frost (8), A.Bonner 2 (5). SB--C.Morris (64), J.Toner (2), B.Martin 2 (18), I.Centeno (7). HBP--B.Martin, L.De Paula, J.Arhart, C.Isenia. SH-- J.Raburn, C.Lozada, B.Martin, H.Kelly. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT C.Saenz 5.0 2 2 2 3 8 1 5.47 J.Gordon 2.0 1 1 1 4 2 0 5.73 A.Dean 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.53 B.Bystrowski 2.1 5 5 5 1 2 1 5.89 J.Backsmeyer 3.2 1 0 0 2 2 0 5.40 T.Marx (L,0-4) 1.1 1 1 1 1 1 0 14.05 BAKERSFIELD C.Seddon 5.0 10 5 5 0 6 1 4.84 G.Dukeman 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.35 A.Coose 1.0 4 3 3 1 0 0 3.45 B.Cramer 4.0 3 0 0 3 2 0 0.00 C.Hines (W,1-1) 3.0 2 0 0 0 3 0 3.04 HB--C.Saenz 2, B.Bystrowski, J.Backsmeyer. WP--C.Saenz, T.Marx. SO--C.Morris 2, R.Santana 2, S.Candelaria 3, J.Toner 2, J.Frost 2, C.Lozada, B.Martin, L.De Paula 2, E.Gonzalez, E.Reece 2, A.Clark 4, H.Kelly 2, I.Centeno 3. BB--C.Morris 2, S.Candelaria, T.West, B.Martin 2, E.Gonzalez 4, C.Isenia 2, A.Bonner, H.Kelly, I.Centeno. T--5:20. A--1101

Not to put a damper on things, but Matt Kinney is at 96 pitches through seven. He's not going to make it through the ninth for the complete game shutout, so why have him pitch the 8th?

From the Beloit Site: 8/20/2003- LHP Manny Parra has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to 8/18/03 with a left shoulder strain. RHP Forrest Martin will join the Snappers today. Martin is being promoted from the Arizona Brewers ball club. There he went 2-1, with an ERA of 2.84. In 22.2 innings he struck out 34 while only giving up 12 bases on balls. Martin was signed as a minor league free agent on 06/06/03. RHP Forrest Martin Brewerfan Player Profile Page: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=565 Martin will be 24 in January. This bump was necessary for his sake -- good luck to him. As for Parra, the Miller Park start looks ridiculous in hindsight. Hopefully the Brewers are being extra-cautious here, but they should have been extra-cautious a week ago.

Wednesday's Daily Menu : We'll be plugging in the standings for playoff-contending Huntsville, Beloit and Helena within the Daily Menu while pertinent; Huntsville's fighting for a second-half crown that would provide additional home field advantage in the playoffs; Beloit's looking to qualify with a second-half division championship -- they can also automatically qualify for the playoffs with a second-place division finish. It now appears that Helena is playing for additional home-field rights as well. All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: LHP Derrin Ebert, fresh off a cross-country flight from Bakersfield and the Mavericks at Columbus (Yankees), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ HUNTSVILLE: Idle WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 32 25 .561 [b]*HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 32 26 .552 .5[/b] MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 28 30 .483 4.5 CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 27 31 .466 5.5 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 25 31 .446 6.5 HIGH DESERT: RHP Chris Saenz at Bakersfield (Devil Rays), 9:15 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: Idle WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 37 20 .649[/b] *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 34 23 .596 3.0 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 33 25 .569 4.5 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 29 29 .500 8.5 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 29 29 .500 8.5 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 28 30 .483 9.5 %WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 25 32 .439 12.0 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 25 33 .431 12.5HELENA: LHP Greg Kloosterman vs. Ogden (Dodgers) at home , 8:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): www1.infinitydesign.net/v...s.com/www/ NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 9 .591 [b]*HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 12 10 .545 1.0[/b] MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 11 11 .500 2.0 BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 6 16 .273 7.0ARIZONA: TBA vs the rookie Athletics this morning in Maryvale

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville Update: THE 24th MANNot much good news tonight. The Stars, erratic as always offensively, were completely handcuffed by Justin Germano, who threw his first complete game of the season. After Noochie Varner singled in the 3rd inning, Germano retired 20 of the last 21 to face him, including 18 straight. Of his 27 outs, ten were retired by ground out and seven struck out. He was efficient, working an eight-pitch 8th inning after a nine-pitch 7th inning and a nine-pitch 6th inning....... He went to a three-ball count only four times. Fortunately, there's some other news to talk about........ The Milwaukee Brewers have finally filled the Stars' final roster spot after many moons have fallen........ In a trade with the San Francisco Giants, the Brewers handed over their 2nd baseman Eric Young in exchange for right-handed pitcher Greg Bruso, who will join the Stars for their four-game series vs. Carolina at Five County Stadium. He will be added to the Stars' rotation. Bruso was ranked 22nd among the Giants' top minor league prospects this year........ He throws a 91 mph fastball, slider, and change, according to Baseball America....... In the Giants' deep well of pitching talent, he was expendable........ Bruso last pitched for Class AA-Norwich (East.), the Giants AA farm club. There he was 5-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 45 and walking 11 in 76 1/3 innings. He pitched two complete games........ Earlier this season, he was a California League All-Star. He faced the High Desert Mavericks once this year and shut them out, I believe on three hits. With Fresno, he was 7-5 with a 3.11 ERA, striking out 77 and walking 11 in 84 IP. Corey Hart was all the offense the Stars had tonight. His leadoff HR in the 2nd inning over the wall just to the right of the foul pole gave the Stars a 1-0 lead....... It was his league-best 88th RBI....... The Stars came close to scoring again in the 3rd inning after an infield hit by Ben Hendrickson. He took 2nd on a sacrifice. After Chris Barnwell lined out for the second out of the 3rd, Varner lashed an 0-2 pitch to 1st baseman Joe Gerber. Varner beat Gerber to the bag sliding in, but Hendrickson decided to go the distance, and was cut down at the plate to end the inning....... Brandon Gemoll and Brad Nelson would go deep with fly balls in the later innings, but that was all the news the Stars made tonight on the field. The Stars turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with runners on first and second, getting Hendrickson out of a jam, but Hendrickson would give up a pair of HRs --- the first time he's done that with Huntsville in two seasons....... Todd Donovan tied the game in the 3rd with a line drive HR over the Dodge sign in the left field corner, then J.J. Furmaniak in the 4th, muscled up and powered a two-run HR onto the hillside in left field to make it 3-1....... In the 7th, Todd Donovan added another home run, flipping his bat as he watched it go, to put the Bay Bears in front 4-1........ This guy is just a .206 hitter, and coming into this series against Huntsville, he was hitting .176 against Stars pitching, but four of his eight HRs this year have come against the Stars, and in this series, he finished 4-for-8 with five runs scored, three HRs, and four RBIs. The Stars are 9-3 in their last 12 games. Despite the loss, they remain just ½ game in back of Birmingham because the Barons lost to Chattanooga tonight, 9-4, making four errors leading to five unearned runs....... Mobile's two wins in this series are the only games they have won in their last seven....... This season series closes with a 14-9 edge for the Stars, their 2nd best record in season series against Mobile in club history, by percentage points, at least. The 2001 Stars won 11 of 17 against Mobile........ The Stars will go with Pedro Liriano (9-11, 3.82) Thursday night. The Carolina Mudcats will probably go with Donnie Bridges (9-1, 2.74), currently 5th among Southern League ERA leaders. Ernie Young, one of the heroes of the Stars' 1994 Championship season, hit a 3-run HR off Derek Lee in the 4th inning to give Toledo a 3-1 victory over Indianapolis, Tuesday night...... Derek is now 1-4 with a 4.37 ERA...... Richard Paz is hitting .278 for Indy with a .367 on-base pct. ...... The High Desert Mavericks lost their 90th game tonight, falling to Bakersfield, 2-0. They have won only 38 games this year........ Tampa Bay # 1 draft pick, former Orlando Rays pitcher, and Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider grad Dewon Brazelton, on a rehab assignment, allowed five hits in seven shutout innings for the Blaze..... Chad Petty, a possible starter for the Stars next year, pitched seven scoreless innings for the Mavs.

Indianapolis Star Game Story: Derek Lee deserved a better "Action Shot"... www.indystar.com/print/ar...5-036.html

Beloit Game Summary from the Burlington Site: www.gobees.com/press/p1_0820.html

As a follow-up to the David Manning release, LHP Derrin Ebert has been promoted to AAA Indianapolis from High Desert. The Mavericks still have 12 pitchers on their staff, so don't necessarily expect a follow-up move. Ebert pitched well in relief for Indy last year, but he'll be plugged into Manning's spot in the Tribe rotation.

Indy Site Game Summary: INDIANAPOLIS -- Ernie Young?s 18th home run of the year proved to be the difference as the visiting Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Indianapolis Indians 3-1 on Tuesday night at Victory Field. Andy Van Hekken combined with four Mud Hens relief pitchers to hold the Tribe to a single run, that coming on a one-out double by Doug Jennings in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Tribe offense out-hit Toledo by a 10-8 margin, but stranded 12 men on base, including five over the game?s final four innings. Van Hekken (4-6), scattered nine hits over his 5.2 innings pitched, while having narrowly avoided allowing a game-tying three-run home run to Jennings in the bottom of the sixth. With two runners on, Jennings blasted a Van Hekken offering high and deep off the very top of the right field wall, coming no more than a foot away from tying the game at 3-3. Wilton Veras scored from second base on the play for the Tribe?s only run, but Jennings and Cody McKay were both stranded on base in the inning. The Indians stranded two runners on base in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings, as four Indians batters recorded two hits in the ballgame. Derek Lee started for Indianapolis, pitching eight innings allowing only seven hits while striking out five, as the only blemish on his record was the three-run shot off the bat of Young in the fourth. Fernando Rodney, the fifth Mud Hen pitcher used in the game, pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Toledo to record his 23rd save of the season. The Indians will travel to Columbus for a two-game series with the Clippers on Wednesday and Thursday before heading off to Louisville for a three-game weekend series with the Bats. The Tribe will return home to Victory Field on Monday, August 25th when they open the final homestand of the season with two games against Louisville. Indianapolis Box Score: Doug Jennings is really a 1B/DH at this stage of his career, so get used to seeing the Rushford / Knox / Zoccolillo outfield combo often in the coming days -- at least that's three guys we like to root for... GAME DATE: 8/19/03 TOLEDO 3 AT INDIANAPOLIS 1 YTD YTD TOLEDO AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG O.Infante SS 4 0 0 0 .237 R.Knox CF 5 0 1 0 .217 A.Torres CF 5 1 1 0 .279 R.Paz 2B 5 0 2 0 .286 C.Ross RF 5 1 1 0 .285 J.Rushford LF 3 0 1 0 .316 P.Lennon 1B 3 0 0 0 .244 K.Luuloa 1B 3 0 0 0 .257 E.Young DH 3 1 2 3 .266 P.Zoccolillo RF 4 0 0 0 .270 B.Ust 3B 3 0 1 0 .249 W.Veras 3B 4 1 2 0 .226 K.Jordan 2B 4 0 2 0 .220 C.McKay CAT 4 0 2 0 .228 E.Kingsale LF 4 0 1 0 .217 D.Jennings DH 4 0 2 1 .229 Y.Valera CAT 3 0 0 0 .185 S.Scarboroug SS 4 0 0 0 .231 A.Van Hekken PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Lee PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 C.Mears PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Jimenez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.German PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Rodney PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 3 8 3 TOTALS 36 1 10 1 TOLEDO 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0- 3 8 1 INDIANAPOLIS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0- 1 10 0 E--O.Infante. DP--TOLEDO 1, INDIANAPOLIS 0. LOB--TOLEDO 9, INDIANAPOLIS 12. 2B--C.Ross (31), K.Jordan 2 (7), R.Paz (6), D.Jennings (11). HR-- E.Young (18). CS--W.Veras. HBP--P.Lennon, J.Rushford. SH--O.Infante. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA TOLEDO A.Van Hekken (W,4-6) 5.2 9 1 1 1 0 0 5.88 C.Mears 0.2 1 0 0 1 0 0 2.84 J.Jimenez 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.74 F.German 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.54 F.Rodney (S,23) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1.36 INDIANAPOLIS D.Lee (L,1-4) 8.0 7 3 3 2 5 1 4.37 R.Giron 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4.82 HB--A.Van Hekken, D.Lee. SO--P.Lennon, E.Young, E.Kingsale, Y.Valera 2, R.Knox, K.Luuloa, D.Jennings. BB--E.Young, B.Ust, Y.Valera, J.Rushford, K.Luuloa 2. T--2:43. A--5747

In progress: High Desert 0, Bakersfield (Devil Rays) 0, after four innings LHP Chad Petty has faced only one over the minimum through four innings, allowing two hits; I've tried not jinxing Petty this summer, jinxing him, etc. Hopefully a few of you may choose to give Chad and the Mavs some audio attention during your late evening surfing...

Huntsville Box Score: The boxes will start rolling in; rough night for Ben Hendrickson -- well, he got a base hit; Dave Krynzel with a night off, Noochie patrolled CF.... GAME DATE: 8/19/03 HUNTSVILLE 1 AT MOBILE 7 YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG MOBILE AB R H BI AVG A.Machado 2B 3 0 0 0 .252 T.Donovan CF 2 2 2 2 .210 C.Barnwell SS 3 0 0 0 .247 V.Faison LF 3 0 0 0 .220 N.Varner CF 4 0 1 0 .281 J.Gautreau 2B 4 1 1 0 .232 C.Hart 3B 4 1 1 1 .301 J.Knott RF 1 1 0 0 .252 B.Gemoll 1B 3 0 0 0 .267 J.Gerber 1B 3 1 1 0 .273 B.Nelson LF 3 0 0 0 .196 H.Quintero CAT 4 1 1 1 .300 D.Clark RF 2 0 0 0 .229 J.Furmaniak SS 4 1 2 2 .254 M.Kremblas CAT 3 0 0 0 .195 D.Bravo 3B 4 0 1 2 .220 B.Hendrckson PIT 2 0 1 0 .167 J.Germano PIT 4 0 0 0 .000 M.Parker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Hardy PH 1 0 0 0 .279 B.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 28 1 3 1 TOTALS 29 7 8 7 HUNTSVILLE 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 3 0 MOBILE 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 3 X- 7 8 0 DP--HUNTSVILLE 1, MOBILE 0. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 3, MOBILE 5. HR--C.Hart (12), T.Donovan 2 (8), J.Furmaniak (2). SB--T.Donovan (28). SH--A.Machado. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE B.Hendrckson (L,6-5) 5.0 4 3 3 5 4 2 3.88 M.Parker 2.0 1 1 1 1 1 1 3.14 B.Adams 1.0 3 3 3 1 1 0 3.33 MOBILE J.Germano (W,2-3) 9.0 3 1 1 2 7 1 3.13 SO--A.Machado, N.Varner, C.Hart, B.Nelson, D.Clark, M.Kremblas, J.Hardy, V.Faison, J.Gautreau 2, J.Gerber, J.Germano 2. BB--C.Barnwell, D.Clark, T.Donovan 2, V.Faison, J.Knott 3, J.Gerber. T--2:27. A--2090

Beloit 6, Burlington (Royals) 5 Looking forward to reading about this one... Beloit Line Score: MID FINAL R H E - - - BELOIT 6 10 2 BURLINGTON 5 6 1

Toledo (Tigers) 3. Indianapolis 1 Wow, Ernie (not Eric) Young is still around, huh? Indianapolis Line Score: INTL FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - TOLEDO 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 INDIANAPOLIS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 10 0 FINAL WP - ANDY VAN HEKKEN (4-6) LP - DEREK LEE (1-4) SAVE - FERNANDO RODNEY (23) HOME RUNS: TOL - ERNIE YOUNG (18) OFF DEREK LEE IN THE 4TH TIME: 2:43 ATT: 5,747