MassBrew

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Good account, quotes, etc... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...854,84989, Daily Press High Desert Notes Column: Pitching home/road splits will surprise you; all kinds of tidbits here... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...507,71844, South Bend Tribune Game Story: Money on Parra, more... www.southbendtribune.com/...the_we.sto

Indianapolis Star Game Story: Teut, Scarborough, and Cooper quotes; "Action Shot" of Bill Hall (and Coco Crisp!) -- where have all the newspaper account photos been this spring we used to get one from High Desert's Daily Press nearly every home game... www.indystar.com/print/ar...6-036.html Huntsville Times Game Story: Bucky the party-pooper... www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...199580.xml Huntsville Times Weekly Stars' Notes Column: Always a good read from Mark McCarter -- dig in... www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...299580.xml High Desert Site Game Summary: Turns out RHP Tony Stavros will get the spot start on Sunday -- nice... ADELANTO, CA ? Danny Kolb won his first game as a High Desert Maverick behind seven strong innings, as the Mavs beat the Stockton Ports for a second straight night, winning 9-2 on Saturday night at Mavericks Stadium. Kolb (1-2) was masterful, allowing just two runs on three hits in a season-best seven innings. Kolb had five strikeouts and two walks. Justin Backsmeyer followed with an inning of perfect relief and Bobby Bystrowski threw a scoreless ninth. The Ports took the lead in the fourth, as Zack Roper?s fielder?s choice knocked in Jason Bourgeios for a 1-0 lead. Roper scored on Jason Dill?s fly ball to left field that was lost in the lights. The Mavs rallied for three runs in the fifth off Ports starter Justin Echols (1-4). Johnny Raburn picked up his first of three hits to drive in Ralph Santana to make it 2-1. Raburn and Todd West would both score, on Frolian Villanueva?s two-run double for a 3-2 lead. The Mavs piled on three more in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Raburn and Villanueva had run-scoring hits in the seventh, while Boyd and Raburn had RBI hits in the seventh. Raburn had a total of three hits and three RBIs to lead High Desert. Villanueva, Santana and Mark Ernster all had two hits for the Mavs. Every Mav in the order collected a base hit, except for Todd West, who was officially 0-0. West did reach base twice on two walks, scoring two runs, and also picked up an RBI with a sac fly. The Mavs will go for their first sweep of the year on Sunday as they face the Ports at 3:05. Stockton sends right-hander John Barnett to the hill. Tony Stavros (1-1) makes his first start of the year, as he goes for the Mavs. OK, the Mavs' site actually has a gallery page and a picture of the week choice -- they even use the ol' "Action Shot" notation http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif : www.hdmavs.com/gallery.htm

Final score: High Desert 9, Stockton (Rangers) 2 Couldn't have written a better script for the Mavericks tonight, as the fans even get to enjoy the big post-game fireworks show. SS Todd West turns an incredible double play in the ninth to cap off his unique night (0-for-0, two walks, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly). Obviously was able to pass on quite a bit from the broadcast tonight. Always feel free to do the same should you be listening in to any broadcast, as biedergb did tonight. It's a great way to contribute to the site if you wish; I can't stress enough there's so much to learn beyond the box scores each night. Just throw your post into the Link Report -- don't worry about style points, it's not like you're going to be judged on that. It's one of the big reasons we've chosen to post the Daily Menu each day. Look for the High Desert site game summary Sunday AM...

Huntsville Site Game Summary: I believe it's Stars' announcer Robert Portnoy who does a nice job with these summaries -- here he provides all the details on the incredible recent run of Mr. Mike Jones... www.huntsvillestars.com/n...?newsid=61

It's going to be a hopefully wonderfully hectic Mother's Day morning here on Sunday, so I'm going to throw out the Daily Menu now to avoid a family conflict in the AM http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio available approx. 15 minutes prior to game-time; no audio for Beloit on Sunday... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Francisco Campos vs. Buffalo (Cleveland) at home, 2:00 PM HUNTSVILLE: RHP Ben Hendrickson returns! The Minnesota native takes on Tennessee (Cardinals) at home, 2:05 PM HIGH DESERT: Change of plans here, as LHP Justin Gordon pulled a muscle in the back of his right leg today and will be re-evaluated on Sunday, but won't start vs. Stockton (Rangers) at 5:05 PM. Pitching coach Bill Champion will be conferring with Reid Nichols, but just by process of elimination as to who's available, it might be RHP Aaron Dean in a limited-pitch start. BELOIT: If the rotation holds as it has, it should be RHP Tom Wilhelmsen at South Bend (Diamondbacks), 1:30 PM Don't know about you folks, but weekend (particularly Sunday) games are darn near impossible to catch once the weather turns, especially if you have a "life" to any extent. Despite speculation out there, I do have one of those http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . And with Mother's Day upon us, here's hoping you're with your mom, either in person or in spirit. If you happen to be able to take her to a ballpark somewhere, all the better...

In Progress: After 6.5 innings, High Desert 6, Stockton 2 Thus far, the Mavs have executed their small-ball game plan nicely. Danny Kolb with seven very strong innings (99 pitches), the second run against him scored when an outfield fly was lost in the lights. Otherwise, solid defense and baserunning (with one exception on the basepaths) have combined with several timely base hits. Ralph Santana was thrown out at home when he ran threw his third base coach's hold sign -- not a smart move when your manager is also the third base coach for the night. More audio tidbits: - Injured pitchers J.M. Gold and Greg Schaub are in Milwaukee this weekend for evaluation - Stockton uses a unique system in which they have an eight-man rotation. Instead of the traditional "piggy-back" that most minor league fans are accustomed with (usually a second "starter" will enter in the 5th or 6th inning of each game), the Rangers flip-flop Port starters so that they take turns being the front or back end of the piggy-back...

Beloit 12, South Bend (Diamondbacks) 6 Teams combine for 32 hits; just want to go on record that the Silver Hawks' site may be the most useless in minor league baseball, at least for game results... ESPN Midwest League Page: Linescore for now; box score will appear here deep into the overnight... sports.espn.go.com/minorl...league=mid

Tennessee (Cardinals) 2, Huntsville 0 More errors than hits -- ugh; y'know, despite all the positive buzz about the Stars, it's not like they've been an offensive juggernaut in 2003... Huntsville Box Score: Neither Daryl Clark nor Kade Johnson played, but Clark was on the on-deck circle as the game ended - he would have pinch-hit in the pitcher's spot; Mike Jones must be making nice use of his pitch count as he gets through eight innings again (six baserunners)... GAME DATE: 5/10/03 TENNESSEE 2 AT HUNTSVILLE 0 YTD YTD TENNESSEE AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG S.Schumaker CF 2 0 0 0 .312 R.Knox LF 4 0 1 0 .244 C.Cosme 2B 3 0 1 0 .351 D.Krynzel CF 3 0 1 0 .296 D.Moylan CAT 4 1 2 0 .324 R.Paz 2B 2 0 1 0 .282 B.Jacobsen 1B 4 1 1 1 .322 C.Hart 3B 4 0 0 0 .281 S.Krause 3B 3 0 1 0 .310 B.Gemoll 1B 3 0 0 0 .267 M.Lyons PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Cosbey RF 3 0 0 0 .229 P.Bolivar LF 4 0 0 0 .232 M.Kremblas CAT 4 0 0 0 .123 J.Dodson RF 4 0 0 0 .242 C.Barnwell SS 3 0 0 0 .245 J.Nelson SS 4 0 0 0 .250 M.Jones PIT 1 0 0 0 .200 N.Stocks PIT 2 0 0 0 .250 J.Hardy PH 1 0 0 0 .325 C.Erickson PH 1 0 0 0 .273 R.Miller PIT 0 0 0 0 .400 J.Figueroa PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Weekly 3B 0 0 0 0 .241 TOTALS 31 2 5 1 TOTALS 28 0 3 0 TENNESSEE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2- 2 5 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 3 4 E--R.Paz, C.Hart, C.Barnwell, R.Miller. DP--TENNESSEE 0, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB--TENNESSEE 6, HUNTSVILLE 8. 2B--R.Paz (5). SB--D.Krynzel (11), C.Cosbey (7). CS--S.Schumaker, R.Knox. HBP--S.Krause, D.Krynzel, C.Barnwell. SH--M.Jones. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA TENNESSEE N.Stocks 7.0 2 0 0 2 7 0 2.51 J.Figueroa (W,3-0) 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.30 M.Lyons (S,12) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2.16 HUNTSVILLE M.Jones 8.0 2 0 0 3 6 0 2.43 R.Miller (L,0-1) 1.0 3 2 2 0 0 0 2.78 HB--N.Stocks, J.Figueroa, M.Jones. SO--C.Cosme, D.Moylan, J.Dodson 2, J.Nelson, C.Erickson, R.Paz, C.Hart 2, B.Gemoll, C.Cosbey, M.Kremblas 3, C.Barnwell. BB--S.Schumaker 2, C.Cosme, R.Paz 2, B.Gemoll, C.Cosbey. T--2:32. A--4092

In Progress: Stockton (Rangers) 0, High Desert 0, after two innings Catching up with Mike Lindskog on the Mavs' broadcast tonight: - Cristian Guerrero and Joel Alvarado arrived at the park 30 minutes before game time; they're not in the lineup... - Tim Blackwell petitioned the league to allow Froilan Villanueva to begin his suspension on Sunday to allow him to catch tonight with Alvarado's status for the game in question. Brian Foster is your DH, protecting his thumb. (Jason Belcher must be your emergency-emergency catcher only -- that's my comment, not Mike's.) - Chris Morris is out of the lineup after his big night last night -- he fouled a pitch off his foot late in last night's game, so Johnny Raburn is your CF tonight in a unique stint... - Although OF Dan Boyd and Raburn are in the starting lineup, Boyd has a sore hamstring and Raburn is dealing with a contusion on his right leg... - Saturday's Lineup: Raburn - Villanueva - Belcher - Ernster - Boyd - Candelaria - Foster - Santana - West - Small-ball lineup for a while: with 21 of the Mavs' 30 HR's gone to Huntsville now, only Foster (7) and Belcher (2) have HR's this year among the other Mavs...

In Progress: Tennessee 0, Huntsville 0, top of 8th inning Mike Jones started for the Stars...

Indianapolis 5, Buffalo (Cleveland) 1 Indy Site Game Summary: INDIANAPOLIS -- Behind a solid pitching performance from newly acquired LHP Nate Teut, the Indianapolis Indians (13-21) were victorious on Friday night 5-1 over the Buffalo Bisons (20-12). The Indians collected 10 hits and used a three-run fourth inning to provide Teut and two relievers with the runs necessary for the win. Teut (1-1), who pitched 6.1 innings allowing only six hits and one run, had a shutout intact through six innings before being taken out with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning. Indians skipper Cecil Cooper turned to reliever Jason Childers to get the team out of the jam. After a bloop single to right field off the bat of Zach Sorensen that scored the Bison's only run of the game, Greg LaRocca lined a Childers offering right back at the pitcher, which Childers snared and promptly threw to first base to double up Sorensen and end the inning. Mark Smith, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a 2-for-3 night, scored in the second inning on Joe Lawrence's single, and again in the fourth inning on a Keith Luuloa double to left. Steve Scarborough gave the Tribe insurance in the fourth when his bases-loaded single scored two more runs and gave the Tribe a 4-0 lead. The Tribe's final run came in the bottom of the seventh inning as Jason Conti scored on Pete Zoccolillo's single. Reliever Danny Kolb pitched the final inning for the Indians, facing three batters and striking out one to lower his ERA to 0.51 on the season. The two teams will play the third game of the four game series at Victory Field on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Indianapolis Box Score: Joe Lawrence and Mark Smith on base three times each; I failed to mention earlier in the year that it was fun to see Buffalo's Coco Crisp play live, just for the fan reaction at each AB; how in the world did we miss commenting on Friday's matchup between Pascual Coco and Coco Crisp? GAME DATE: 5/10/03 BUFFALO 1 AT INDIANAPOLIS 5 YTD YTD BUFFALO AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG C.Crisp CF 5 0 3 0 .345 M.Budzinski RF 5 0 1 0 .289 Z.Sorensen 2B 3 0 1 1 .252 B.Hall 2B 4 0 1 0 .231 G.LaRocca 3B 3 0 0 0 .325 J.Conti CF 3 1 0 0 .240 A.Escobar RF 4 0 0 0 .209 M.Smith DH 3 2 2 0 .354 V.Martinez CAT 3 0 0 0 .233 P.Zoccolillo LF 4 0 1 1 .273 D.Wathan CAT 1 0 0 0 .440 K.Luuloa 1B 4 1 2 1 .260 B.Broussard 1B 3 0 1 0 .250 J.Lawrence CAT 2 1 1 1 .216 J.Peralta SS 4 1 1 0 .270 W.Veras 3B 4 0 1 0 .232 L.Garcia DH 4 0 0 0 .189 S.Scarboroug SS 4 0 1 2 .101 N.Grindell LF 3 0 1 0 .255 N.Teut PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Fyhrie PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Caraccioli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Kolb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Riggan PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 1 7 1 TOTALS 33 5 10 5 BUFFALO 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0- 1 7 0 INDIANAPOLIS 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 X- 5 10 0 DP--BUFFALO 1, INDIANAPOLIS 1. LOB--BUFFALO 9, INDIANAPOLIS 8. 2B--C.Crisp (8), M.Budzinski (4), K.Luuloa 2 (5). SB--C.Crisp 2 (11), Z.Sorensen (7), M.Smith (1). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BUFFALO M.Fyhrie (L,1-4) 5.1 7 4 4 4 0 0 5.08 L.Caraccioli 1.2 3 1 1 0 1 0 7.71 J.Riggan 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.20 INDIANAPOLIS N.Teut (W,1-1) 6.1 6 1 1 3 3 0 3.97 J.Childers 1.2 1 0 0 1 0 0 2.25 D.Kolb 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.51 SO--V.Martinez, B.Broussard, J.Peralta, N.Grindell, M.Budzinski 2, S.Scarboroug. BB--Z.Sorensen, G.LaRocca, B.Broussard, N.Grindell, J.Conti, M.Smith, J.Lawrence 2. T--2:36. A--8097

First a note: Just a reminder that when a Link Report post is "edited", it is done for clarity and format to allow for ease of reading, not edited for content. For instance, the updated box scores in the AM include up-to-date averages and ERA's, and also are pasted here, not linked, because Baseball America doesn't archive the boxes in a manner suitable for our records. Normally we'll edit, and not delete, when others post the overnight boxes, as a way of recognizing the night guys and thanking them for doing so. If we then include any of our own comments within that edited post, we will try to remember to note whether the comment was our own or that of the original poster. I guess there was some discussion elsewhere about that which was brought to my attention. Hope that clarifies things -- MB. Indianpolis Media Notes for Saturday: Includes a Jayson Durocher update... TONIGHT: The Indians continue an eight-game homestand with the second game of a four-game series with Buffalo. The Bisons boast the top record in the league while the Tribe has the worst mark in the IL. Last year the teams split the eight-game season series including the four contests played in Indianapolis. In the last 10 years, the Tribe has won the season series from the Bisons just twice (1994 and 2001). DUROCHER TO START REHAB TUESDAY: RHP Jayson Durocher will join the Indians Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment. Durocher underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove bone spurs on March 8 and has not pitched this season. Durocher opened 2002 with the Tribe and went 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA and two saves in 20 games before a promotion to Milwaukee. He went 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 39 games for the Brewers. YESTERDAY: Alex Escobar drove in six runs to lead Buffalo to a 13-5 win. In addition to a two-run single and a bases loaded walk, Escobar hit a tie-breaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning. Bill Hall went 3-for-4 for the Tribe while Mark Smith was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. ON THE MOUND: Lefthander Nate Teut makes his second start with the Indians after coming over from Iowa on May 2. He started at Norfolk Monday and gave up four runs in five innings in a 4-1 loss. PLAYER OF THE MONTH: OF Mark Smith has been named the Tribe's Player of the Month for April. Smith led the Indians with a .338 average, 22 hits and 11 runs batted in. HOT AT THE PLATE: Mark Smith leads the team with a .344 batting average which ranks eighth in the league. He currently boasts a team-high 11-game hitting streak. Smith has hit safely in 22 of his last 24 games (.360, 32-for-89) and leads the team with 15 RBI and nine multi-hit games. Five Indians are hitting better than .300 in May. Keith Luuloa leads the squad with a .389 mark and two home runs. Bill Hall is hitting .378 and leads the team with eight runs and 14 hits. Mark Smith is batting .357. Jason Conti also has two homers to go with his .333 average. Wilton Veras is hitting .314. 'KOLB' AS ICE: Opponents are hitting a frigid .175 against Tribe reliever Dan Kolb. Kolb has recorded a 0.54 ERA in 12 games allowing one earned run in 16.2 innings. Kolb has worked two innings in each of his last four outings recording 13 strikeouts in the 8.0 innings. ON THE BOARD EARLY: The Indians have scored a team-best 22 runs in the first inning. The Tribe has plated a first-inning run in 11 games this season, but is just 5-6 in those games. The Tribe's fewest runs have come in the ninth (5). The Indians have scored just 24 runs over the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. LONG BALL PROBLEMS: The Indians have hit 19 home runs which ranks 12th in the IL while the pitching staff has surrendered a league-high 37 long balls. The Tribe has been outhomered 13-8 at Victory Field. UPCOMING PROBABLES: Sunday vs. Buffalo - LHP Brian Tallet (2-1, 4.95) vs. RHP Francisco Campos (2-3, 5.80) Monday vs. Buffalo - RHP Jason Phillips (5-0, 2.25) vs. RHP David Manning (2-0, 1.80)

Game Story from the South Bend Tribune: Not a bad account, considering it was a road affair... SOUTH BEND -- Never in high school, never in college at Vanderbilt, never as a professional. But Friday night at Coveleski Stadium Sean Luellwitz connected for the first grand-slam home run of his life as the South Bend Silver Hawks rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Beloit, 7-6. The slam by Luellwitz sparked a six-run seventh inning for the Hawks who took a 7-4 lead, then had to hold on after the Snappers scored two in the eighth and had the tying run on third base in the ninth. "After that strike out (in the sixth inning), I needed to do something,'' said Luellwitz, who has accounted for two of the three home runs South Bend has hit in its home park this season. "After (Jarred) Ball walked on four pitches, I think he (Beloit pitcher Gabe Mendoza) was desperate to throw a strike. It was a fast ball right down the middle. The best thing about it was that we were able to hold on to the lead and win the game.'' Normally when a struggling pitcher walks someone on four pitches, the next batter is told to look at a pitch or two. "If it's a guy who has no chance of hitting a home run, then yes,'' said South Bend manager Von Hayes. "But Sean had the hit sign, he was free to swing.'' While the Luellwitz blast was the game's most productive, it wasn't the longest. Beloit first baseman Prince Fielder, leading off the eighth inning, sent his seventh home run far into the night over right-center outer wall. Fielder, Milwaukee's first round draft pick and seventh overall a year ago, entered the game with a .342 average, fourth in the Midwest League. He added some to that with a 3-for-5 night and drove in two runs. When Fielder arrived in the batters' box in the ninth inning representing the tying run, Hayes brought in left-hander Heath Heiberger from the bullpen to replace right-hander Matt Wilkinson. While there is little difference between Fielder's average vs. right-handers (.355) compared to left-handers (.317) there is a significant difference in the power numbers. He has only one home run against left-handers, and 11 of his 13 hits against left-handers had been singles. "That was a home run situation,'' said Hayes. "All we wanted to do was keep him in the ballpark.'' Heiberger did better than that, inducing a ground out to first baseman Jeff Stanek. His job done, Heiberger turned over the pitching to Mike Davis. Jeff Eure, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning off South Bend starter Jared Doyle, beat out an infield single. He stole second and continued to third when Jon-Mark Sprowl's throw was high. But Davis struck out John VandenBerg to end it. "We haven't come back very often to win like this,'' said Hayes. "Beloit can really swing the bats.'' Jarred Ball was also a key in the victory. Ball was 3-for-3 plus a walk and drove in two runs, lifting his batting average to .310. "That was a nice hit-and-run by Jerry Gil,'' added Hayes. That play in the sixth inning helped the Hawks finally break through against Beloit starter Jeff Housman. Neb Brown walked to open the inning, took third on Gil's hit and scored on Ball's third hit of the night. South Bend scored its six runs in the seventh inning on only two hits, a leadoff double by Stanek and the grand-slam. In between there were walks to Dan Callahan and Ball, and both Brown and Sprowl were plunked by pitches. The 7-4 lead didn't last long. Fielder's homer made it 7-5. A walk to Vanden Berg, a wild pitch from Enrique Gonzales and a hit from Mario Mendez made it 7-6. Wilkinson pitched out of the jam and fanned Steve Moss to open the ninth before the relief from Heiberger and Davis saved the day.

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Chris Morris' big night; 22-year-old pitcher Tony Stavros with nice work as a mentor; Ozzie Chavez' return gets near; and LHP Justin Gordon, rebounding nicely from a tough 2002, gets another opportunity to start... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...986,29982,

Saturday's Daily Menu includes a tossed roster salad, and there's no truth to the rumor that Huntsville's going undefeated the rest of the way -- well, almost no truth... All listed times are Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio approx. 15 minutes prior to the first pitch; no audio for Beloit today -- no Saturday afternoon action as it's all under the lights... INDIANAPOLIS: LHP Nate Teut vs. Buffalo (Cleveland) at home, 6:00 PM HUNTSVILLE: RHP Mike Jones at home vs. Tennessee (Cardinals), 7:05 PM; a nice aspect of the Daryl Clark and Kade Johnson promotions is that no one gets brushed aside to the bench; Cristian Guerrero and Joel Alvarado move down a level to work on their games, and in Cristian's case, try to salvage a career and a 40-man spot, certainly in jeopardy for 2004... HIGH DESERT: I hope to tune in late tonight as RHP Danny Kolb faces Stockton (Rangers) at home, 9:05 PM; I don't think this team is going to feel sorry for itself -- here's hoping for others to pick up the lost offensive firepower (it'll be tough) and give us some West Coast fun in the late night hours this summer... BELOIT: Listed as TBA, but it should be LHP Manny Parra facing the Silver Hawks in South Bend (Diamondbacks) at 6:30 PM

Brief Huntsville Press Release: Summarizes the catcher / OF shake-up, as discussed elsewhere on the Minor League Forum... www.huntsvillestars.com/n...?newsid=59

Note to our favorite West Coast late night Link Reporter, DHonks: Thanks for the links to the overnight boxes, which helped out the night owls for an eight-hour window before we included the game summaries Saturday AM...

South Bend (Diamondbacks) 7, Beloit 6 Prince Fielder celebrates his 19th birthday at the plate, but unfortunately, not with a win... Beloit Box Score: LHP Gabriel Mendoza struggles for the first time this season, losing a 4-1 lead in the 7th; LHP Jeff Housman with another solid five innings... GAME DATE: 5/09/03 BELOIT 6 AT SOUTH BEND 7 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG SOUTH BEND AB R H BI AVG C.Crabbe 2B 4 0 0 0 .226 J.Gil SS 3 0 1 1 .159 K.Bohanan 2B 1 0 0 0 .071 J.Sprowl CAT 3 1 0 0 .258 K.Bibbs CF 4 1 2 0 .265 J.Ball CF 0 0 0 0 .311 S.Moss RF 4 1 0 0 .246 J.Ball RF 3 1 3 2 .311 P.Fielder 1B 5 2 3 2 .352 S.Luellwitz DH 4 1 1 4 .231 J.Eure 3B 4 1 2 3 .225 N.Teilon LF 4 0 1 0 .253 J.VandenBrg CAT 4 1 0 0 .232 N.Teilon RF 0 0 0 0 .253 M.Mendez DH 4 0 1 1 .253 J.Stanek 1B 3 1 1 0 .217 C.Terni SS 4 0 3 0 .250 R.Barrett CF 2 0 0 0 .167 N.Carter LF 3 0 1 0 .140 D.Callahan PH 0 1 0 0 .185 J.Housman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Callahan LF 1 0 0 0 .185 J.Alliston PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Jacobo 3B 4 0 0 0 .220 G.Mendoza PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Brown 2B 1 2 0 0 .218 J.Doyle PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Gonzalez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Wilkinson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Heiberger PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Davis PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 6 12 6 TOTALS 28 7 7 7 BELOIT 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 2 0- 6 12 0 SOUTH BEND 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 X- 7 7 2 E--J.Sprowl, J.Doyle. DP--BELOIT 1, SOUTH BEND 1. LOB--BELOIT 9, SOUTH BEND 4. 2B--C.Terni (2), N.Teilon (3), J.Stanek (2). HR-- P.Fielder (7), J.Eure (5), S.Luellwitz (3). SB--K.Bibbs 3 (16), J.Eure (7). CS--K.Bibbs, J.Ball. HBP--J.Sprowl, J.Ball, N.Brown. SF--J.Gil. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT J.Housman 5.0 3 1 1 2 3 0 1.00 J.Alliston 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 0 2.95 G.Mendoza (L,1-1) 2.0 1 5 5 1 1 1 2.42 SOUTH BEND J.Doyle 5.2 7 4 3 3 1 1 3.55 E.Gonzalez (W,1-2) 1.2 3 2 2 1 1 1 4.96 M.Wilkinson 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 3.95 H.Heiberger 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.80 M.Davis (S,1) 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.50 HB--G.Mendoza 3. WP--E.Gonzalez. BALKS--J.Housman. SO--K.Bohanan, S.Moss 3, J.VandenBrg, S.Luellwitz, J.Stanek, R.Barrett 2, K.Jacobo. BB--K.Bibbs, S.Moss, J.Eure, J.VandenBrg, N.Carter, J.Stanek, D.Callahan, N.Brown. T--2:48. A--1713The South Bend site was down at press time, and the South Bend newspaper accounts have yet to go online. We'll likely track down a game summary later on Saturday for you...

High Desert 11, Stockton (Rangers) 7 High Desert Site Game Summary: ADELANTO, CA ? It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Milwaukee Brewers could only let Daryl Clark and Kade Johnson tear up California League pitching before they would be challenged at the next level. That challenge begins on Saturday as both players will be promoted to the first place AA Huntsville Stars of the Southern League. Johnson and Clark, among the top five in almost every offensive category in the league, will both be getting their first crack at AA. Both played a part in Friday night?s come-from-behind victory over the Stockton Ports as High Desert beat Stockton by a final of 11-7. Johnson and Clark, as they have done all season, contributed by collecting three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored between the two. It was actually Chris Morris and David Nolasco who stole the show on Friday night. Morris collected a season-best four hits and five RBIs, while Nolasco (1-2) earned his first win, by tossing the final five shutout innings in relief. The Ports grabbed an early lead, as Jason Botts? two-run homer put them up 2-0 in the first. They made it 4-0 with two more in the second off Mavs starter Brian Mazone. The Mavs got three back in the second as Scott Candelaria, Morris and Todd West all had run-scoring hits. The Ports made it 7-3 with three unearned runs in the third, keyed by a two-run triple off the bat of Rashad Eldridge. The Mavs scored two runs in each of the next four innings. They tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth, as Johnson doubled home Clark, then scored on Jason Belcher?s sac fly. They took the lead for good in the sixth, as Morris knocked in Candelaria with his third of four hits on the evening. Darrin Moore (0-2) took the loss for the Ports. Meanwhile, Nolasco was brilliant, working hitless relief for the first three innings. The Ports threatened in the eighth by loading the bases, but Nolasco got Botts to foul out with the bases loaded, trailing 11-7. The Mavs throw Danny Kolb (0-2) on Saturday, while the Ports counter with Justin Echols (1-3) at 7:05. Taking the two roster spots for the Mavs will be catcher Joel Alvarado and outfielder Cristian Guererro. Alvarado hit just .162 in his first 13 games for the Stars this season, with no home runs and five RBIs. Guerrero hit just .195 with no home runs and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Stars so far in 2003. Both Alvarado and Guerrero spent time with the Mavericks in 2003. High Desert Box Score: Froilan Villanueva seeing time back behind at the plate while Brian Foster nurses his sore thumb; not sure how much longer LHP Brian Mazone can maintain his rotation spot... GAME DATE: 5/09/03 STOCKTON 7 AT HIGH DESERT 11 YTD YTD STOCKTON AB R H BI AVG HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG D.Meyer SS 4 0 2 1 .271 J.Raburn 2B 5 0 1 0 .303 J.Moore 2B 3 1 1 1 .155 F.Villanueva CAT 3 0 0 0 .312 J.Botts 1B 5 1 2 2 .289 D.Clark LF 4 1 1 1 .351 G.Raymundo 3B 5 0 0 0 .350 K.Johnson DH 5 2 2 1 .321 Z.Roper DH 5 1 1 0 .300 J.Belcher RF 4 2 2 1 .319 O.Ayala RF 3 2 0 0 .222 M.Ernster 3B 5 2 2 0 .358 J.Dill PH 1 0 0 0 .214 S.Candelaria 1B 3 2 1 1 .277 D.Smith CAT 3 1 1 0 .300 C.Morris CF 4 1 4 5 .260 R.Eldridge LF 4 1 1 2 .266 T.West SS 4 1 2 1 .267 C.Strngfelow CF 4 0 3 1 .276 B.Mazone PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Andrew PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Nolasco PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Valdez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Moore PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Gilbert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 7 11 7 TOTALS 37 11 15 10 STOCKTON 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0- 7 11 5 HIGH DESERT 0 3 0 2 2 2 2 0 X-11 15 1 E--D.Meyer, J.Moore, J.Botts, G.Raymundo, R.Gilbert, S.Candelaria. DP--STOCKTON 0, HIGH DESERT 0. LOB--STOCKTON 8, HIGH DESERT 7. 2B--Z.Roper (6), D.Clark (4), K.Johnson 2 (11), T.West (5). 3B-- R.Eldridge (4). HR--J.Botts (4). SB--J.Belcher (1), S.Candelaria (1), C.Morris (20), T.West (6). CS--D.Meyer, F.Villanueva. SF--D.Meyer, J.Belcher. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA STOCKTON J.Andrew 4.0 8 5 5 0 3 0 4.55 D.Valdez 1.0 1 2 2 2 1 0 5.16 D.Moore (L,0-2) 1.2 6 4 2 2 1 0 5.94 R.Gilbert 1.1 0 0 0 0 3 0 5.51 HIGH DESERT B.Mazone 4.0 8 7 4 3 3 1 10.41 D.Nolasco (W,1-2) 5.0 3 0 0 1 8 0 6.85 WP--D.Valdez, B.Mazone. SO--D.Meyer, J.Moore 2, G.Raymundo 3, Z.Roper, O.Ayala 2, R.Eldridge 2, J.Raburn 2, F.Villanueva, D.Clark, K.Johnson 2, M.Ernster 2. BB--J.Moore 2, O.Ayala, D.Smith, F.Villanueva 2, D.Clark, S.Candelaria. T--3:01. A--2027

Huntsville 6, Chattanooga (Reds) 3 The Stars roll on...thank goodness, Brewer fans! Huntsville Site Game Summary: Stars Complete Sweep, 6-3In a series filled with long balls, the most prodigious came on Friday night. Brandon Gemoll unleashed an awe-inspiring, fifth-inning homerun that left Bell South Park, literally, and staked Huntsville to a three-run lead. The first-place Stars (21-12) romped to a 6-3 victory over Chattanooga, completing a four-game sweep of the Lookouts (10-23). Huntsville increased its lead to four games over West Tennessee in the Southern League West Division. The Stars jumped on Chattanooga starter Dustin Moseley in the second. Chris Barnwell led off with a single and took second on Ben Diggins? groundout. Chris Cosbey singled to center, plating Barnwell for a 1-0 lead. Cosbey quickly stole second base before being thrown out trying to steal third. Dave Krynzel followed with a triple to left-center, and Richard Paz scored him with an infield-single. Barnwell added a third-inning, run-scoring single to put Huntsville up, 3-0. The Lookouts scored twice in the fourth before Gemoll took center stage. Krynzel led off the fifth with a bunt-single. Two outs later, Gemoll faced Moseley for the third time. On a 1-2 pitch, Gemoll launched a monstrous blow that disappeared over the bleachers beyond the right field wall. The emphatic two-run homer, Gemoll?s third of the year and second in the series, put the Stars in front, 5-2. Ben Diggins (3-2) notched his third win, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while fanning four over six innings. Moseley (2-2) suffered the loss, permitting five runs, four earned, on eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Mike Adams recorded his third save, striking out one in a perfect ninth. Huntsville opens a four-game series against the Tennessee Smokies on Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Right-hander Mike Jones (4-1, 3.03) meets Tennessee righty Nick Stocks (3-0, 3.00) at 7:05 p.m. Huntsville Box Score: GAME DATE: 5/09/03 HUNTSVILLE 6 AT CHATTANOOGA 3 YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG CHATTANOOGA AB R H BI AVG C.Cosbey LF 4 0 1 1 .244 W.Caceres CF 3 1 1 0 .211 D.Krynzel CF 5 2 2 0 .295 A.Beattie 2B 4 1 1 1 .264 R.Paz 2B 3 0 1 1 .277 G.Senjem RF 4 0 0 0 .321 C.Hart 3B 4 0 0 0 .290 S.Smitherman LF 4 0 1 1 .277 B.Gemoll 1B 4 1 2 2 .274 C.Haas 1B 4 0 1 0 .247 C.Guerrero RF 4 1 1 0 .197 E.Encrnacion 3B 3 0 0 0 .219 M.Kremblas CAT 3 0 0 0 .132 C.Gubanich CAT 3 0 0 0 .233 C.Barnwell SS 4 1 2 1 .253 R.Olmedo SS 3 0 0 0 .286 B.Diggins PIT 3 0 0 0 .250 D.Moseley PIT 1 0 0 0 .400 M.Hammons PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Perez PH 1 0 0 0 .000 M.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Dehart PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Knox PH 1 1 1 0 .244 D.Stenson PH 1 1 1 1 .245 M.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Darnell PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 6 10 5 TOTALS 31 3 5 3 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 1- 6 10 0 CHATTANOOGA 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0- 3 5 1 E--A.Beattie. DP--HUNTSVILLE 1, CHATTANOOGA 0. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 6, CHATTANOOGA 2. 2B--A.Beattie (11). 3B--D.Krynzel (4). HR--B.Gemoll (3), D.Stenson (2). SB--C.Cosbey (6). CS--C.Cosbey, R.Paz. HBP--R.Paz. SH--C.Cosbey. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE B.Diggins (W,3-2) 6.0 3 2 2 1 4 0 2.36 M.Hammons 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.30 M.Childers 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1.93 M.Adams (S,3) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.95 CHATTANOOGA D.Moseley (L,2-2) 5.0 8 5 4 0 4 1 3.30 C.Dehart 3.0 1 0 0 1 4 0 7.50 P.Darnell 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 5.54 HB--D.Moseley. WP--B.Diggins, M.Hammons, P.Darnell. SO--D.Krynzel 2, R.Paz, C.Hart, C.Guerrero 2, B.Diggins 2, A.Beattie, G.Senjem 2, S.Smitherman, C.Haas. BB--R.Paz, M.Kremblas, W.Caceres. T--2:37. A--5554Stars' Site Press Release on Mike Jones' Award: www.huntsvillestars.com/n...?newsid=60

Indianapolis Media Notes for Friday the 9th: Includes a travel nightmare for the Tribe... TONIGHT: The Indians return to Victory Field from an eight-game road trip. The Tribe split four-game sets with both Richmond and Norfolk. The Indians hit .286 on the trip and scored 39 runs (4.9 rpg). The pitching staff recorded a 3.07 ERA. The Indians welcome Buffalo to Victory Field for their only visit of the season. Last year the teams split the eight-game season series including the four contests played in Indianapolis. In the last 10 years, the Tribe has won the season series from the Bisons just twice (1994 and 2001). The Indians look for their second straight win against a lefthanded starter. The Indians are 1-8 when a southpaw starts against them, but the win came Wednesday against Norfolk's Mike Bacsik. YESTERDAY: Norfolk prevailed 7-6 in 11 innings in a game that was tied three different times. Both teams loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but couldn't score. Mark Smith and Scott Seabol went 2-for-5 for the Tribe. Pitcher Dave Burba was 2-for-2 with a three-run double and a run scored. ON THE MOUND: Righthander Pasqual Coco makes his seventh start. Coco has pitched well in each of his last three outings, twice getting tagged for runs in his last inning of work. For the season, Coco has a 3.82 ERA through the first six innings. Coco turned in one of his best performances in his most recent start. On Sunday, he held Richmond to two runs over 6.1 innings to earn the win. He retired 11 men in a row from the third through the sixth. TRAVEL TROUBLES: With an afternoon game at Norfolk yesterday, the Indians were scheduled to fly home last night. Mechanical problems with their airplane forced the team into an extra night in Virginia. As they headed home this morning, the team faced additional delays at the Philadelphia airport. The team landed in Indianapolis at 10:15 this morning. HOT AT THE PLATE: Mark Smith leads the team with a .337 batting average which ranks ninth in the league. He currently boasts a team-high 10-game hitting streak. Smith has hit safely in 21 of his last 23 games (.353, 30-for-85) and leads the team with 13 RBI and eight multi-hit games. Six Indians are hitting better than .300 in May. Keith Luuloa leads the squad with a .429 mark. Jason Conti is hitting .345 with a team-high two home runs and five RBI. Bill Hall is hitting .333 and leads the team with seven runs and 11 hits. Mark Smith is batting .333 while Wilton Veras (.323) and Pete Zoccolillo (.304) are also hot. 'KOLB' AS ICE: Opponents are hitting a frigid .175 against Tribe reliever Dan Kolb. Kolb has recorded a 0.54 ERA in 12 games allowing one earned run in 16.2 innings. Kolb has worked two innings in each of his last four outings recording 13 strikeouts in the 8.0 innings. LONG BALL PROBLEMS: The Indians have hit 18 home runs which ranks 12th in the IL while the pitching staff has surrendered a league-high 36 long balls. The Tribe has been outhomered 12-7 at Victory Field. A ROUGH 'ROAD' TO HOE: The Tribe opened the season with 22 of its first 32 games on the road. The Indians went 7-15 away from Victory Field hitting .229 on the road and scoring 80 runs (3.6 rpg). Four of the Tribe's 11 position players hit below .200 on the road. The Tribe went 2-3 and 4-4 on two of the trips, but only 1-8 on the longest trip of the year. UPCOMING PROBABLES: Saturday vs. Buffalo - RHP Mike Fyhrie (1-3, 4.76) vs. LHP Nate Teut (0-1, 7.20) Sunday vs. Buffalo - LHP Brian Tallet (2-1, 4.95) vs. RHP Francisco Campos (2-3, 5.80) Monday vs. Buffalo - RHP Jason Phillips (5-0, 2.25) vs. RHP David Manning (2-0, 1.80) Buffalo (Cleveland) 13, Indianapolis 5 Indy Site Game Summary: INDIANAPOLIS -- Alex Escobar drove in six runs including three on a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning as the Buffalo Bisons defeated the Indianapolis Indians 13-5 Friday night. Buffalo improved their league-leading record to 20-11 while the Tribe dropped to 12-21 as they opened an eight-game homestand. The Indians jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Mark Smith doubled home Bill Hall and Jason Conti as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games. A triple by Wilton Veras made it 3-0. Buffalo roared back to take the lead with four runs in the third. Escobar collected the first of his two hits on the night with a two-run single. With Buffalo leading 5-3 in the sixth, Tribe first baseman Keith Luuloa belted his second home run of the season, a two-run shot scoring Smith who had laced his second double of the night, to tie the game. The five runs were the most allowed this season by Bisons starter Jason Stanford (4-0) who came into the game with a 1.86 ERA which ranked third in the International League. Buffalo gave Stanford the win with three runs off reliever Shane Nance (0-1) in the seventh. Nance walked the lead-off man and gave up a single to Ben Broussard before Escobar belted his sixth home run of the season to the deepest part of the ballpark. The homer gave Buffalo the lead for good at 8-5. Escobar's sixth RBI of the night came on a bases loaded walk in the ninth when Buffalo tacked on four more runs. The teams meet again Saturday at 6 p.m. at Victory Field on the first Fireworks Night of the season. Indianapolis Box Score: Tribe batters fail to draw a walk, too many errors, etc.; RHP Pascual Coco wanted his opportunity, but isn't taking advantage... GAME DATE: 5/09/03 BUFFALO 13 AT INDIANAPOLIS 5 YTD YTD BUFFALO AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG C.Crisp CF 5 2 2 1 .333 J.Lawrence CAT 4 0 0 0 .209 Z.Sorensen LF 5 1 1 2 .250 B.Hall 2B 4 1 3 0 .231 G.LaRocca 2B 5 2 2 1 .333 J.Conti CF 4 1 1 0 .248 B.Broussard 1B 3 2 1 1 .248 M.Smith RF 4 2 2 2 .344 A.Escobar RF 5 1 2 6 .217 K.Luuloa 1B 4 1 1 2 .239 J.Peralta SS 6 0 2 0 .271 P.Zoccolillo DH 4 0 1 0 .274 L.Garcia DH 5 2 2 0 .198 W.Veras 3B 4 0 1 1 .232 N.Grindell 3B 4 1 1 1 .250 S.Scarboroug SS 4 0 0 0 .092 D.Wathan CAT 4 2 2 0 .458 M.Budzinski LF 4 0 1 0 .294 J.Stanford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Coco PIT 0 0 0 0 .143 J.Santiago PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Buddie PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Herrera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Nance PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Marquez PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 TOTALS 42 13 15 12 TOTALS 36 5 10 5 BUFFALO 0 0 4 1 0 0 3 1 4-13 15 1 INDIANAPOLIS 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0- 5 10 3 E--Z.Sorensen, B.Hall, M.Smith, K.Luuloa. DP--BUFFALO 1, INDIANAPOLIS 0. LOB--BUFFALO 11, INDIANAPOLIS 4. 2B--C.Crisp (7), L.Garcia 2 (4), B.Hall (5), J.Conti (5), M.Smith 2 (5). 3B--W.Veras (1). HR--A.Escobar (6), K.Luuloa (2). SB--M.Budzinski (4). CS--J.Peralta, P.Zoccolillo. HBP--N.Grindell. SF--B.Broussard. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BUFFALO J.Stanford (W,4-0) 6.0 9 5 5 0 6 1 2.83 J.Santiago 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 A.Herrera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.48 INDIANAPOLIS P.Coco 4.0 7 5 4 1 2 0 5.60 M.Buddie 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.15 S.Nance (L,0-1) 1.1 2 4 4 3 3 1 9.00 R.Giron 1.1 5 4 3 3 1 0 7.15 R.Marquez 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.06 HB--P.Coco. WP--P.Coco 2. SO--G.LaRocca, A.Escobar 3, J.Peralta, L.Garcia, D.Wathan, J.Lawrence, B.Hall, P.Zoccolillo 2, S.Scarboroug 2, M.Budzinski. BB--C.Crisp, Z.Sorensen, G.LaRocca, B.Broussard 2, A.Escobar, D.Wathan. T--2:58. A--6326Indianapolis Star Game Story: Story actually focuses more on Buffalo's Alex Escobar... www.indystar.com/print/ar...1-036.html

We'll start today's Report with some award news: From SportsTicker: Southern League Pitcher of the Week (May 2 - 8): Huntsville righthander Mike Jones went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8 in 7 innings. Well, that was one heck of a start he had, I'm sure the Stars' site will have more on this later on... From IndyIndians.com: Outfielder Mark Smith has been named the Indianapolis Indians Player of the Month for April and will receive a specially-designed commemorative watch from Windsor Jewelers prior to tonight's game. Smith batted .338 and drove in 11 runs to lead the Indians in both offensive categories in April. The 33-year-old hit safely in 16 of the 18 games he played, and put together a team-high, six-game hitting streak from April 8-16. Smith also led the team with 22 base hits. For the month, Smith slugged at a .477 clip and posted a .357 on-base percentage ranking second on the team in both categories. He scored eight runs, doubled three times and homered twice. In 65 at-bats, he struck out just six times. Smith is in his 13th season as a professional after being a first-round draft pick of Baltimore in 1991. The California native has played seven seasons in the major leagues for Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Florida and Montreal hitting .243 in 381 games.

Daily Press Feature Profile on RHP Bobby Bystrowski: Interesting story, especially the "show up at Brewers' camp, ask for a tryout, get 50 pitches in the bullpen" part... Intensity feeds Bystrowski By MICHAEL ROTHSTEIN/Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO ? The David Wells book sits in the top part of Bobby Bystrowski?s locker. In the upper left-hand corner sits two cans of Red Bull, a high-energy drink. Down the left side are stretching cords which look similar to jumper cables. Inside the locker itself are more clothes than some people own. Keep in mind this is for an away road trip. In front of his locker, Bystrowski acts relatively calm, or at least the most subdued the High Desert closer ever really is. ?Everyone gives me a hard time for the Red Bull,? Bystrowski said. ?It?s part of my routine. I have the Red Bull because it puts more sugar in my system and gets me pumped up. ?I?m an intense competitor.? When Bystrowski enters a game during a save situation, his intense nature shows in every pitch. Bystrowski has appeared in 14 games with a 3.18 ERA and eight saves. His eight saves are second in the California League. Four of them came in the past week. ?He?s aggressive,? pitching coach Bill Champion said. ?He throws it over the plate. He takes his chances and he?s not afraid. It?s a pretty good combination.? Bystrowski originally played outfield, but took a year away from baseball in 2002. During the off-year, he pitched in two men?s leagues, where he said he would sometimes pitch seven innings on a Wednesday and then nine more Sunday. He showed up at Milwaukee?s spring training and asked for an opportunity. They gave him a 50-pitch bullpen tryout and from there was invited to camp. ?Pitching?s better for my mindset than hitting,? Bystrowski said. ?Pitching is more of a positive mindset. Hitting is more of a failure-type thing and I don?t like failure. I like being successful.?

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Mavs defeated by pitched featured here on the forum a few weeks back, read on... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...710,62773, More notes from the Press: Shortstop Ozzie Chavez will take dead-ball batting practice this weekend and possibly live BP during the Lake Elsinore series. Manager Tim Blackwell said he was moving closer to a day-to-day situation. ? Froilan Villanueva will serve a three-game suspension this weekend from the California League for last weekend?s incident against Rancho Cucamonga. ? Roving hitting coordinator Jim Skaalen and infield instructor Ed Romero will be in Adelanto starting Saturday.

David Weiser's Huntsville Analysis: Just when manager Frank Kremblas has everything going his way, in comes this pleasant dilemma........ J.J. Hardy made his first plate appearance since April 24. Perhaps a bit overanxious to swing that bat, he hit a sharp one-hopper to Ray Olmedo for a double play....... But as Hardy gets ready to retake his spot in the lineup, his understudy, Chris Barnwell, has turned into the Stars' hottest hitter in May........ Barnwell is hitting .375 this month --- 6-for-15 in his last 4 games and 8-for-17 in his last 5. That's with a pair of HRs and 5 RBIs. Coming into the month with a .190 average, it has jumped 50 points in a little over a week....... Will Kremblas go back to platooning Barnwell with .275-hitting Richard Paz, who's played excellent defense and has been a superb on-base threat?......... It'll be interesting to see how Kremblas handles this......... Barny, tonight, had two hits, including a squeeze bunt that died in the grass in front of home plate, the first successfully executed by the Stars this year, for a hit that scored Ryan Gripp with the tying run in the 2nd game....... Brandon Gemoll followed with a rip down the right field line for a double, scoring Joel Alvarado, putting the Stars ahead, 2-1........ With the bases full, Dave Krynzel hit a one-out single through the right side to give the Stars the run they needed to sweep the Lookouts, 5-0 and 6-2......... It was the first double-header sweep of the Lookouts since 1989. Pedro Liriano, who pitching coach Stan Kyles described as "his smartest pitcher", dominated game one and has been nearly invincible over his last three starts, two of which he's won......... Liriano has given up just 2 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings for a 1.04 ERA in those three starts. That lowers his season ERA to 2.82....... The Stars gave him a 5-0 lead to work with, as Corey Hart, on the heels of a 7 RBI night, doubled and singled to drive in two runs, giving him 9 for the series........ Ryan Knox led off the game with his first home run since April 4, when he hit the first home run of the season for the Stars vs. Jacksonville's Eric Stutts. The Stars are on the march toward a first half title, and at this point, are doing all the things first place teams do to win titles........ They can score with two out, they can take advantage of the other team's mistakes, they can count on their pitching and their bullpen, as well, and they're starting to minimize their mistakes.......... In the first ten games of the season, the Stars committed 22 errors........ In the Stars last 10 games, they have committed just 8. They're able to win also because they're loaded with prospects, not suspects........ Dave Krynzel is hitting a healthy .290 and measuring his progress to the same stage last year with the Stars, we find Dave has cut down on his strikeouts (22 last year in 106 AB. 16 in 107 this year) and been more patient at the plate. He had all of 4 walks for the Stars last year, but so far, he has 13 in roughly the same number of plate appearances......... All the while, he is learning to slap more balls through the hole and use his speed more often, I've seen, to get more infield hits........ A solid lineup, a solid bench, a lot of solid reasons why the Stars will win the first half. The Stars are now 9-3 in their last 12 games and 6-2 in their last 8....... Ben Diggins (2-2, 2.27, 7th among SL ERA leaders) will close out this series before they return home on Saturday to take their first look at the Tennessee Smokies........ The Smokies will be a tough opponent. They are the 2nd best hitting team in the SL (.282) and have the 2nd best ERA (2.87), led by Danny Haren (5-0, 0.94)........ Offensively, they are led by Caonabo Cosme, a former Oakland prospect, hitting .381, and it will be interesting to see the reaction to former favorite Bucky Jacobsen, who is tied for the Southern League lead in home runs (8) with Greenville's Adam LaRoche. Bucky is also hitting .314......... Another former Huntsville Star, Scott Krause, is on their roster, hitting .288. Unfortunately, there won't be a report this weekend from me, and probably won't be one tomorrow night as I get ready to catch a plane to Chicago........ I'm going to catch my first trip to Wrigley Field and I am looking forward to it. I'll be back, Sunday. Enjoy the time off, David. If you ever consider a trip to New England, let me know -- MB