MassBrew

Final: Huntsville 3, Montgomery (Devil Rays) 0 Certainly the high point of LHP Ryan Costello's pro career -- sometimes we lose sight of how much talent even players who don't quite register on the Power 50 have. Each and every player in this organization is capable of having a night like this. It's consistency and staying power that are a true measure. Congrats, Ryan -- a few on the forum were calling for your head this past week... Huntsville Box Score: Oh yeah, Prince with a two-run HR... GAME DATE: 7/18/04 MTG at HVL MONTGOMERY 0 AT HUNTSVILLE 3 YTD YTD MONTGOMERY AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG A.German CF 4 0 0 0 .249 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 0 0 .257 J.Brewer SS 4 0 1 0 .243 A.Gwynn CF 3 1 1 0 .259 F.Cortez 2B 4 0 0 0 .288 P.Fielder 1B 3 1 1 2 .264 C.Isenia CAT 3 0 0 0 .288 J.Gann RF 3 0 0 0 .316 E.Reece 1B 3 0 1 0 .250 C.Barnwell 3B 3 0 1 0 .252 D.DeMent DH 2 0 0 0 .255 J.Raburn DH 3 0 0 0 .274 B.Martin LF 3 0 1 0 .244 R.Knox LF 3 1 1 0 .258 A.Clark RF 3 0 0 0 .209 O.Chavez SS 3 0 2 0 .213 V.Harrison 3B 3 0 0 0 .132 K.Johnson CAT 2 0 0 1 .243 J.Webb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Costello PIT 0 0 0 0 .077 C.Hines PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Coose PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 29 0 3 0 TOTALS 27 3 6 3 MONTGOMERY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 3 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 X- 3 6 0 DP--MONTGOMERY 0, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB--MONTGOMERY 4, HUNTSVILLE 1. 2B--J.Brewer (10), R.Knox (8). HR--P.Fielder (15). CS--C.Barnwell, O.Chavez. SF--K.Johnson. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MONTGOMERY J.Webb (L,0-1) 5.0 4 3 3 0 1 1 6.46 C.Hines 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.47 A.Coose 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2.72 HUNTSVILLE R.Costello (W,5-3) 9.0 3 0 0 2 11 0 4.34 SO--A.German 3, F.Cortez, C.Isenia, E.Reece, D.DeMent 2, A.Clark 2, V.Harrison, R.Weeks, P.Fielder, J.Gann. BB--C.Isenia, D.DeMent. T--1:52. A--1201Huntsville Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12020

In progress: High Desert 0, Stockton (Rangers) 0, after 5.5 innings in Stockton Mavs out-hitting the Ports, 8-1, Ballouli dealing; somebody drive in a run! LHP Eric Henderson in the booth tonight -- that's been fun...

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: STEPPIN' INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONEManager Frank Kremblas must be pretty happy these days to write a lineup and see seven players hitting better than .300 this month. That's what he had Saturday night......... Only Joel Alvarado, who earns his spot on the team with his defense (46.6% thrown out stealing) and Ryan Knox, nursing a strained groin and hip flexor, are along for the ride....... If you add Kade Johnson, who was rested, you have eight position players hitting better than .300 in July. So it's small wonder the Stars are 9-5 this month. In fact, I'm surprised the record isn't better than that. Just look one moment at the results of 14 games in July: AB R H RBI Avg. Rickie Weeks 50 8 18 9 .360 Tony Gwynn, Jr. 55 11 19 3 .345 Prince Fielder 45 8 15 10 .333 Brad Nelson 53 7 17 11 .321 Jamie Gann 54 8 18 15 .333 Chris Barnwell 48 7 15 5 .313 Johnny Raburn 39 9 13 3 .333 Kade Johnson 32 7 11 4 .314Taken together, the Stars are hitting .307 in July, the 2nd best July in their history........ It seemed to me that July was historically a hot month for the Stars, but as it turns out, the hottest surprisingly is April...... The Stars have had only six losing Aprils, but in isolating the seasons the Stars made it to the post-season, not one April had been the hottest month for any of those teams....... July was the hottest month in four of them, May and June, three each, so there's the reason for the false perception........ By the way, .311 is the best July ever for a Stars team, which so happened to be the 1997 team that lost the Southern League Championship, thanks more to a thunderstorm than Greenville's skill. Their best month was July. Glenn Woolard, working with a limit of 75 pitches, came two outs away from getting a win which would have been much deserved, but as luck and limits go, he was yanked by Frank Kremblas after Amado German hit his 75th pitch for a single to right-center........ Woolard went 3 2/3 innings in his previous start. This time, he got through four, giving up only a two-out double to left by Fernando Cortez in the 1st inning, and striking out six, mixing knuckle-curves, change-ups, and curves to get them......... After retiring Vince Harrison on a couple of hops to Rickie Weeks in the 5th, Aaron Clark worked Woolard for eight pitches before stroking a solid single to right, Dan Massiatte doubles on a 1-1 pitch to the left field corner, and Amado German hits a 2-2 pitch for a single to right-center, as I previously mentioned........ Woolard is cruising after four then throws 21 pitches in the 5th before reaching his limit........ It took just 23 pitches for him to retire the Biscuits In the 3rd and 4th innings combined, That's how close Woolard, with his father present in the stands, was from getting the win here. As it turned out, Jason Shelley enters, goes 2 2/3 innings and is just unhittable....... Eight up. Eight down. 34 pitches --- 22 for strikes. Five strikeouts....... In his last two relief appearances, Shelley has held opponents to just one hit in five scoreless innings, striking out six......... Brian Adams was next. A 1-2-3 inning. So from the time Shelley comes in till Adams comes out, 11 straight Montgomery hitters are retired....... Roberto Giron, unfortunately, was all over the place tonight. He grazed Chiaron Isenia with his first pitch on the hip, then on his fourth, gives up a hard-hit single to right by Eric Reece. Reece, on base for the first time in the game, has now been on base in 17 of his 19 games as a Biscuit......... Three pitches later, a two-run double to left-center by Dan DeMent, in a 2-for-29 funk, after striking out three times...... For the first time in 10 appearances going back to May 3, Giron gives up an earned run....... Giron managed to quickly retire Harrison and Clark, but walked Dan Massiatte on five pitches........ That was all for Bob, as they call him in the clubhouse. John Novinsky came in to register his 12th save by getting German out on his second pitch on a high fly ball to left field. While the Stars have been knocking the ball, the bullpen has been doing an awesome job for the rotation, keeping the hounds at bay......... Coming in for a rotation that has a combined ERA of 5.29 this month, the pen has won six, lost one, and saved six games, logging a 3.02 ERA. The bullpen has also struck out 48 and walked 18 in 56 2/3 innings...... Leading the way --- Saul Rivera (1-0, 1.29), Fernando Rijo (1-1-1, 2.35), and Novinsky (1-0-5, 2.84). Everyone but Joel Alvarado had at least a hit in this game. Everyone from Gwynn down to Raburn had two........ The Stars got off to a quick start with a high fly ball hit to center that came down in front of German. Gwynn, who was waiting on second after a one-out double down the left-field line, hustled around third and scored without a throw....... The game-breaker came early in a bizarre third inning........ Rickie Weeks, on the first pitch to him, doubled against the Gibson's BBQ sign in left. After Gwynn walked on four pitches, a fly ball by Prince Fielder to left-center sent Weeks to third...... With the count 1-1 to Brad Nelson, Dan Massiatte tried to pick Weeks off, but the throw came in too close to to the runner, handcuffing 3rd baseman Vince Harrison from making a clean catch. Weeks took off and scored and Gwynn, who was moving on the pickoff play, took second........ Nelson hit Seddon's fourth pitch off the Yellow Book sign in the left field corner, the second billboard as you go left to right on the lower tier. That drove in Gwynn. Now comes the great mystery..... Did Jamie Gann get away with a home run on what should have been a ground-rule double?........ Gann's uppercut clout on a 1-0 pitch traveled far and fast to dead center and appeared to many, including myself and announcer Robert Portnoy to bounce on the track in front of the 405 mark, then disappear over the wall --- an obvious ground-rule double. Gann seemed to pull up at second. German was holding the ball. Then Gann kept going, and heads started scratching....... The ump, first base ump R.J. Thompson I believe, had given the home run signal. But German had the ball, and came in with his arms up in the air as if to question the call. Manager Charlie Montoyo came out to meet Thompson, now joined by 3rd base ump Brian Kennedy........ Strangely, neither German, nor Montoyo lost their cool, and walked away over what turned out to be the game-winning two-run HR that capped a four-run inning for the Stars........ Did Gann get away with a home run? It would have been one of the worst calls ever, but Thompson's explanation to the press box was that the ball was hit so hard, so fast, that it bounced off the speaker directly behind the wall, back to German on the bounce --- in other words, in the opposite direction of what everyone near me believed they saw. Both the wall at the 405 point and the background behind it, are black, and being that far away, and the ball traveling so fast, it was still difficult to track the ball. But everyone saw the bounce and I could swear it was going away from the field, rather than toward it. It was the most bizarre thing I had seen since home plate Ria Cortesio made three calls on the same play back in mid-May vs. Greenville........ Funny thing. I haven't seen Cortesio's crew, led by crew chief Scott Kennedy, umpire a game at the Joe since. Matt Parker was scheduled to start for the Biscuits Sunday, but he threw 1 2/3 innings in relief of Seddon, so the start will reportedly go to John Webb, who pitched for the Diamond Jaxx last year. This will be Webb's first start for Montgomery........ Going for the Stars will be Ryan Costello (4-3, 4.93) who has yielded 9 runs in 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts. The Biscuits have the best fielding in the league, committing the fewest errors (66), yet they are 17-21 when they do not commit an error......... Since hitting a game-winning home run to beat the Stars, 1-0, last July 7, Vince Harrison is 4-for-22......... Kade Johnson, who I would bet starts behind the plate Sunday, is 4-for-7 in this series with a .727 slugging average, a home run and three RBIs........ Over the season, he's .394 vs. Montgomery with three HRs and seven RBIs. More success for Bucky Jacobsen in his second major league game....... Playing 1st base, rather than DH, Saturday night, Bucky hit a two-run HR off C.C. Sabathia in the second inning and finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Mariners lost anyhow to Cleveland, 7-6. As reported on brewerfan.net, Chris Michalak was traded to the Florida Marlins and assigned, I assume, to Albuquerque. The Marlins released catcher Keith Osik, a former Southern Leaguer who caught for Carolina, to make room for him. Michalak was 2-6 with a 5.18 ERA for Indianapolis this season. The Marlins will be his 12th major league organization. The A's, of course, was his first. He pitched for the Stars in 1995 and '96.

Final: Pawtucket (Red Sox) 6, Indianapolis 5, 11 innings Ben Ford allows a bases-loaded triple; the homestand from hell ends with three consecutive losses in the final inning; late rally falls short; the PawSox have been horrible -- they got a second wind this week against Indy... Indianapolis Box Score: Pedro, you can't be walking six batters, even in a "quality start"... GAME DATE: 7/18/04 PAW at IND PAWTUCKET 6 AT INDIANAPOLIS 5 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD PAWTUCKET AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG H.Stanley DH 5 1 2 4 .284 D.Krynzel CF 5 0 0 0 .297 K.Youkilis 3B 3 1 0 0 .262 P.Bergeron LF 5 0 0 0 .227 B.Daubach 1B 3 0 0 0 .304 C.Hart RF 5 0 1 0 .276 A.Dominique CAT 4 1 1 0 .281 B.Gemoll 1B 5 1 3 0 .277 E.Snyder SS 5 0 1 1 .276 C.Coste 3B 5 0 0 0 .271 A.Hyzdu RF 5 1 2 0 .277 M.Johnson CAT 4 2 1 0 .263 C.Crespo 2B 5 1 1 0 .188 T.Durrington 2B 5 2 3 0 .183 J.Sherrod LF 5 0 1 0 .273 L.Figueroa SS 4 0 2 2 .255 J.Owens CF 4 1 0 0 .239 A.Delgado DH 5 0 2 2 .184 J.Brown PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Hernandez PR 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Martinez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Liriano PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Malaska PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Reichert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Duff PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Ford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Almonte PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 39 6 8 5 TOTALS 43 5 12 4 PAWTUCKET 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3- 6 8 1 INDIANAPOLIS 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2- 5 12 0 E--E.Snyder. DP--PAWTUCKET 2, INDIANAPOLIS 2. LOB--PAWTUCKET 8, INDIANAPOLIS 8. 2B--E.Snyder (27). 3B--H.Stanley (1). HR--H.Stanley (2). SB--H.Stanley (1). CS--T.Durrington. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA PAWTUCKET J.Brown 5.2 6 2 2 1 2 0 4.12 A.Martinez 1.1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.82 M.Malaska 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2.49 M.Duff (W,4-3) 2.1 3 2 2 2 0 0 4.15 E.Almonte (S,4) 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.65 INDIANAPOLIS P.Liriano 6.2 5 3 3 6 7 1 4.99 D.Reichert 3.1 0 0 0 1 4 0 2.80 B.Ford (L,0-2) 1.0 3 3 3 1 1 0 7.80 WP--P.Liriano. SO--H.Stanley, B.Daubach 2, A.Dominique, A.Hyzdu 3, C.Crespo, J.Sherrod 2, J.Owens 2, B.Gemoll, M.Johnson, T.Durrington. BB--H.Stanley, K.Youkilis 3, B.Daubach 2, A.Dominique, J.Owens, D.Krynzel, M.Johnson, L.Figueroa. T--3:10. A--10104Indianapolis Game Log: Miserable day for David Krynzel includes a game-ending AB... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=13693

Mark McCarter's Huntsville Times Stars' Notes: Another two bite the dust: Pitchers Mike Jones and Chris Saenz are out for the rest of the season. The two flew to Milwaukee Friday and were examined by Brewers' physicians. Jones has what doctors called a "slap lesion" in his shoulder, and he could undergo surgery. Saenz has a sprained ligament in his elbow and will go through several months of rehab before being allowed to pitch. Jones has been sidelined nearly as much as he has been on the active roster, sitting out most of the second half last season and pitching only six games this year. He was 1-4 with a 4.18 ERA while Saenz was 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA, plus a win against the Cardinals in one start for Milwaukee in April. The litany of Milwaukee's top-prospect pitchers lost to injury for significant amounts of time has been mind-boggling and alarming: Nick Neugebauer, JM Gold, David Pember, Ben Diggins, Manny Parra, Ben Hendrickson and Jose Mieses. Matt Ford, another surgically repaired pitcher, continues to improve for the Stars. "He'll get consistent with his feel for his mechanics and extend his pitch count,'' said pitching coach Fred Dabney after Ford had a solid four-inning appearance Thursday. If past performance says anything, the Stars' road trip to Mobile, Birmingham and West Tenn has some promise. They are 9-6 at those places this season and 20-16 overall against those three teams. Since being sent down from Indianapolis on July 3, Roberto Giron has allowed only two hits in 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Reliever Saul Rivera has permitted only one earned run in 9 2/3 innings since being acquired from the Montreal organization. Ben Hendrickson, who pitched for Huntsville last season, is expected to be promoted to Milwaukee today and will start for the Brewers at Cincinnati Monday night. On deck: The Stars end their home stand tonight against Montgomery at 6:05 then embark on their longest road trip of the season, visiting Mobile, Birmingham and West Tenn.

Huntsville Times Game Story: Stars just love those Biscuits Huntsville whips Montgomery for 3rd straight time By JOHN FERRY Times Sports Staff jferry@htimes.com It was just the second start for Glenn Woolard since coming to the Huntsville Stars at the end of May. Woolard approached the Saturday night game at Joe Davis Stadium like he did when he was at High Desert, Calif., earlier in the season. He had a plan. "An advantage of starting is you know when you're throwing," said Woolard, who is usually a long reliever. "You can also look at a team a couple of times before you face them." Woolard did that against Montgomery on Thursday and Friday. "You can't put your guard down for any of them," he said. "They are all pretty good hitters." Not on Saturday night. At least, not enough to make enough of a dent against a solid-hitting Huntsville team. Woolard pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up only two hits and two runs and striking out six. Four relievers followed, with John Novinsky coming on to get the final out. Huntsville won it 6-4, the Stars' third straight win in the series. "Woolard was very good the first four innings," Stars manager Frank Kremblas said. "He is getting stronger. His pitch count got up in the fifth." Huntsville produced 14 hits and had 11 of those by the time the fifth inning ended. Tony Gwynn Jr., Prince Fielder, Brad Nelson, Jamie Gann, Chris Barnwell and Johnny Raburn contributed two hits each. Fielder's single to center in the first inning drove in Gwynn, but in the third the Stars made a much louder noise. Rickie Weeks doubled, stole third and came home on a throwing error. Nelson doubled home a run, then Gann belted a two-run homer over the fence in center. That made it 5-0. Montgomery got only one hit off Woolard going into the fifth, then the Biscuits drove him from the mound with three hits. Amado German's single scored two runs. Huntsville got a run back in its fifth when Gann singled in Fielder. The Stars took a 6-2 lead into the ninth. But Dan DeMent's two-run single enabled the Biscuits to bring the typing run to the plate. Dan Massiatte walked, then Kremblas brought in Novinsky who got German to fly out to Nelson to end it. Jason Shelley (2-3) picked up the win and Montgomery starter Chris Seddon (6-5) took the loss.

Just a reminder about your audio options from Huntsville and High Desert this evening http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

In progress: Pawtucket (Red Sox) 3, Indianapolis 3, after ten innings Ben Ford on and in trouble in the 11th...

Final: Lansing (Cubs) 3, Beloit 1 Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...4d0a802faf Beloit Box Score: LHP Dana Eveland and RHP Simon Beresford deserved a better fate -- can Will Lewis play SS at all? GAME DATE: 7/18/04 LAN at BLT LANSING 3 AT BELOIT 1 YTD YTD LANSING AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG R.Fitzgerald CF 3 0 0 0 .270 G.Rodriguez 2B 4 0 0 0 .255 T.McQuade LF 3 1 1 0 .283 T.Trofholz RF 4 1 1 0 .309 B.Dopirak DH 4 0 0 0 .309 D.Anderson LF 4 0 2 1 .296 F.Salas 2B 4 0 1 1 .286 V.Rottino DH 4 0 0 0 .287 D.Larsen 1B 4 0 0 0 .234 A.Heether 3B 4 0 2 0 .255 U.Marquez SS 4 2 2 0 .375 M.Ramirez 1B 3 0 0 0 .261 A.Rick CAT 3 0 1 1 .255 S.Moss CF 3 0 1 0 .228 A.Garcia 3B 4 0 0 0 .280 T.Marks CAT 3 0 0 0 .196 C.Mejia RF 4 0 0 0 .225 J.Murray SS 3 0 0 0 .162 B.Bay PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Rapada PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Beresford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 3 5 2 TOTALS 32 1 6 1 LANSING 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0- 3 5 1 BELOIT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 6 1 E--C.Rapada, M.Ramirez. DP--LANSING 2, BELOIT 0. LOB--LANSING 6, BELOIT 4. 2B--U.Marquez (2), A.Rick (13), A.Heether (21). SB--R.Fitzgerald (8), T.McQuade (2), T.Trofholz (36). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANSING B.Bay (W,7-6) 7.0 6 1 1 0 5 0 2.91 C.Rapada (S,2) 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.11 BELOIT D.Eveland (L,6-5) 6.0 5 3 2 2 9 0 3.13 S.Beresford 3.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 3.97 SO--R.Fitzgerald, T.McQuade 2, B.Dopirak 2, D.Larsen, U.Marquez 2, A.Garcia 2, C.Mejia 2, G.Rodriguez, T.Trofholz, M.Ramirez, T.Marks, J.Murray 2. BB--R.Fitzgerald, T.McQuade, A.Rick. T--2:05. A--3135Beloit Game Log: Steve Moss with a non-RBI groundout, one out, man on 3rd in the 2nd... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12506

Final: Arizona Mariners 13, Arizona Brewers 2 Now we kind of hope that Mark Rogers didn't pitch in this one -- box score late tonight... FINAL R H E - - - ARIZ MARINERS 13 16 2 ARIZ BREWERS 2 6 4

RHP Khalid Ballouli is your starter for High Desert tonight, as the Mavs try to figure out how to work a six-man rotation (Parra, Bruso, Harper, Bradley, Hall, and Ballouli).

Sunday's Daily Menu : INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Pedro Liriano at home vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox), 2:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate Audio Link (PawSox feed): www.pawsox.com/ HUNTSVILLE: LHP Ryan Costello at home vs. Montgomery (Devil Rays), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: TBD at Stockton (Rangers), 7:05 PM; sorry Roxy, I misplaced my game notes and projected starters... Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: TBD at home vs. Lansing (Cubs), 2:00 PM Audio link (Lugnuts' feed): www.lansinglugnuts.com/ HELENA: Idle ARIZONA ROOKIE: TBD (although it should be RHP Mark Rogers) at home vs. the young Mariners, 10:30 AM local Maryvale time; never any audio from Arizona

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 51 41 .554 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 52 43 .547 .5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 45 49 .479 7.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 42 50 .457 9.0[/b] WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 13 8 .619[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 8 .619 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 11 10 .524 2.0 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 8 14 .364 5.5 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 7 14 .333 6.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 13 7 .650 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 13 9 .591 1.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 13 9 .591 1.0 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 10 12 .455 4.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 7 15 .318 7.0[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 14 8 .636 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 14 8 .636 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 12 10 .545 2.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 11 11 .500 3.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 11 11 .500 3.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 10 12 .455 4.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 10 12 .455 4.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 10 12 .455 4.0[/b] NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 16 12 .571[/b] BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 14 13 .519 1.5 GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 14 .481 2.5 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 11 16 .407 4.5 W L PCT GB RANGERS (TEXAS) 13 8 .619 GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 13 8 .619 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 12 8 .600 .5 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 12 9 .571 1.0 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 9 .550 1.5[/b] ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 10 10 .500 2.5 PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 10 11 .476 3.0 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 8 13 .381 5.0 ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 4 17 .190 9.0

Helena Game Story from the Provo Daily Herald: Jason Franchuk DAILY HERALD While Angels officials went scurrying for the record books during the afternoon, the baseball team kept doing the same stuff on the field Saturday night by winning its third consecutive game. Miller Field wasn't as electric. It was a smaller crowd (1,404) by about 500 fans and the scoring effort of the home team was hardly as proficient. There was no need to peruse the annals of professional baseball, either. But Helena still couldn't stop Provo in the Angels' 8-2 victory. "This wasn't a football game," said Provo manager Tom Kotchman, referring to the 23-6 score from the previous night (vs. Missoula). "This was a baseball game. We just went out and played well." The Brewers tried to make a game of it, tying the score at 2 in the third on a two-run homer from Tony Festa. That would be the last noticeable mistake Provo's pitchers would make. And it was the last time the Angels felt threatened. The Brewers (16-12) never got a leadoff hitter on base. Provo had better luck. The middle of the Angels lineup has been torrid lately, seemingly able to produce runs even in the toughest situations. In the third, Helena retired the first two batters. That, as it turned out, was not the time to stick the effort on cruise control. Not with Utah County's version of Murderer's Row making the short walk from the dugout to home plate. No. 3 hitter Sean Rodriguez drilled a triple off the left-field wall and scored on a wild pitch to the next batter, Andrew Toussaint, who promptly blasted an opposite-field homer to right field for a 4-2 lead. Provo (16-12) added three runs in the sixth thanks to a bases-loaded walk, then a two-run single by Rodriguez. Kotchman continues to rave about the 19-year-old who was called down from Class-A Cedar Rapids and is now hitting above .450 on this tour. Said Rodriguez after another good game, getting three hits in five at-bats: "I guess I'm just seeing the ball well." Provo was held to nine hits. Besides Rodriguez, only two others had more than one. Toussaint and Tim Duff were both 2-for-3. The biggest news was about Friday night's game. The Angels public relations director found that Friday night was, indeed, not like many others for his team -- or any other in the sport, for that matter. Two players had six hits. Apparently, that hadn't happened at any level of professional ball since 1896. There's word that the two players, Ryan Leahy and Andrew Toussaint, might have the wood they used during the achievement shipped to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. If that doesn't happen, the front office is looking at acquiring the bats to use them as a decoration in its new Orem offices. Both teams will take Sunday off, then resume the series with a doubleheader Monday. Kotchman wasn't sure if he liked the idea of a free day, although he was using part of it to take his wife, Susan, and daughter, Christal, back to the airport so they could return to their home in Florida. This was their first trip ever to see him coach in Utah. "I don't know if three games is a winning streak yet," Kotchman said. "But we've been playing better. We just want to keep it up."

Final: Provo (Angels) 8, Helena 2 Helena Independent Republic: Brewers sacked in Provo By IR Staff PROVO, Utah ? Helena's seesaw swing through Utah continued Saturday with an 8-2 loss at Provo. The Brewers tied the game at 2 with two out in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run by Tony Festa only to have the Angels take control in the bottom of the inning. Provo regained the lead with a two-out, two-run homer of its own. The Angels added three runs in the sixth inning and one in the seventh to win the first game of the series that will continue Monday with a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Helena Box Score: Tony Festa draws another three walks -- you really have to temper enthusiasm about players coming in from Division One ball -- we'll see; RHP Dan McKenna's struggles came with him from Beloit... GAME DATE: 7/17/04 HEL at PRV HELENA 2 AT PROVO 8 YTD YTD HELENA AB R H BI AVG PROVO AB R H BI AVG S.Sollmann 2B 5 1 2 0 .279 R.Giannotti RF 4 1 1 0 .300 A.Festa 3B 2 1 1 2 .305 R.Leahy SS 4 0 0 1 .400 G.Richardson 1B 4 0 0 0 .361 S.Rodriguez CF 5 1 3 2 .473 A.Mannon RF 4 0 0 0 .303 A.Toussaint DH 3 2 2 1 .308 A.Segura Cor CAT 4 0 1 0 .294 N.Sutton 3B 4 0 1 0 .377 J.Serfass LF 4 0 2 0 .245 T.Duff CAT 3 3 2 0 .317 C.Fermaint CF 4 0 0 0 .231 J.Leblanc 2B 2 0 0 0 .302 D.Bates DH 4 0 0 0 .333 C.Walston 1B 3 1 0 1 .234 A.Escobar SS 3 0 1 0 .234 M.Hughes LF 2 0 0 0 .116 R.Wooley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Remole PH 1 0 0 1 .244 D.McKenna PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Remole LF 1 0 0 0 .244 B.Murray PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Ray PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.De La Cruz PIT 0 0 0 0 .150 B.Edwards PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Douglas PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Waters PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Arnold PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 2 7 2 TOTALS 32 8 9 6 HELENA 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0- 2 7 1 PROVO 0 2 2 0 0 3 1 0 X- 8 9 1 E--G.Richardson, R.Leahy. DP--HELENA 0, PROVO 1. LOB--HELENA 10, PROVO 9. 2B--J.Serfass (5), A.Toussaint (3). 3B--S.Rodriguez (3). HR--A.Festa (3), A.Toussaint (9). SB--A.Escobar (9). CS--R.Leahy. HBP--J.Leblanc. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HELENA R.Wooley (L,1-1) 5.0 7 4 3 1 1 1 3.04 D.McKenna 0.2 1 3 3 3 1 0 9.00 B.Murray 1.1 1 1 1 3 0 0 7.59 C.De La Cruz 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 PROVO R.Ray 4.1 4 2 2 3 5 1 4.74 B.Edwards (W,1-1) 2.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.13 J.Douglas 0.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9.45 C.Waters 1.1 2 0 0 0 3 0 4.34 M.Arnold 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.77 HB--R.Wooley. WP--R.Wooley 2, D.McKenna. BALKS--D.McKenna. SO-- S.Sollmann, G.Richardson, A.Mannon, A.Segura Cor, J.Serfass, C.Fermaint 2, D.Bates 2, A.Escobar 2, S.Rodriguez, J.Leblanc 2. BB--A.Festa 3, G.Richardson, A.Escobar, R.Giannotti, R.Leahy, A.Toussaint 2, N.Sutton, T.Duff, J.Leblanc, C.Walston. T--2:40. A--1404Helena Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=16653

Final: Beloit 9, Lansing (Cubs) 5 Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...me_id=1356 Beloit Box Score: RHP Brian Montalbo's exit after four batters has us wondering about an injury; Will Lewis on base four more times... GAME DATE: 7/17/04 LAN at BLT LANSING 5 AT BELOIT 9 YTD YTD LANSING AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG C.Walker CF 4 2 2 0 .288 T.Trofholz RF 5 1 0 1 .310 T.McQuade LF 4 1 2 0 .282 W.Lewis 2B 3 3 2 2 .371 B.Dopirak 1B 3 1 3 0 .313 W.Campana SS 4 0 0 0 .250 D.Larsen 1B 2 1 1 2 .239 V.Rottino CAT 2 0 0 1 .290 F.Salas 2B 4 0 1 1 .288 A.Heether 3B 4 0 1 2 .252 A.Rick DH 5 0 2 0 .254 M.Ramirez 1B 4 0 0 0 .265 J.Fox CAT 5 0 0 0 .259 D.Anderson DH 3 2 2 0 .293 U.Marquez 3B 5 0 2 1 .333 S.Moss CF 2 1 1 0 .227 C.Mejia RF 4 0 1 0 .229 R.Deevers LF 3 2 1 2 .217 C.Rojas SS 4 0 0 0 .214 B.Montalbo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Jones PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Pratt PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Wells PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Durost PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Francisco PIT 0 0 0 0 .096 D.Grybash PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Mateo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Mendez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 40 5 14 4 TOTALS 30 9 7 8 LANSING 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0- 5 14 2 BELOIT 1 0 1 5 0 0 2 0 X- 9 7 1 E--U.Marquez, A.Pratt, W.Lewis. DP--LANSING 1, BELOIT 0. LOB--LANSING 11, BELOIT 8. 2B--B.Dopirak (24), A.Rick (12), W.Lewis 2 (9). 3B--D.Larsen (1). HR--R.Deevers (3). SB--T.Trofholz (35), W.Lewis (3). CS--C.Mejia. HBP--W.Campana, S.Moss. SF--V.Rottino, A.Heether. SH--R.Deevers. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANSING J.Jones 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.62 A.Pratt (L,0-1) 2.0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0.00 R.Wells 1.0 3 6 5 2 0 0 4.99 A.Francisco 2.0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0.00 J.Mateo 1.2 1 1 1 0 0 0 2.96 A.Mendez 1.1 1 1 1 1 0 1 5.48 BELOIT B.Montalbo 0.1 3 1 1 0 0 0 4.94 M.Stetter (W,3-0) 3.2 4 0 0 0 3 0 1.71 T.Taubenheim 3.0 7 4 3 0 5 0 4.31 K.Durost 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0 3.86 D.Grybash 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5.68 HB--R.Wells, A.Francisco. WP--A.Pratt, R.Wells, K.Durost. PB--J.Fox. SO--T.McQuade, A.Rick 2, J.Fox 3, U.Marquez 2, C.Mejia, C.Rojas, A.Heether, D.Anderson, R.Deevers. BB--C.Walker, T.McQuade, F.Salas, W.Lewis 2, V.Rottino 2, D.Anderson, S.Moss. T--2:36. A--3320Beloit Game Log: Snappers scored five runs on one hit in the 4th... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12505

Final: Stockton (Rangers) 11, High Desert 3 Game Story from the Stockton Record: Two-out hits lead Ports to seventh in a row By Rick Brewer Record Staff Writer STOCKTON -- Two-out hits can erase a multitude of prior mistakes. Conversely, two-out mistake pitches can expunge an equal amount of early success. The Stockton Ports were the beneficiaries of five timely two-out hits Saturday at Billy Hebert Field. The High Desert Mavericks delivered the pitches that led to them. Those reversals of previous fortune allowed Stockton to come from behind for the second consecutive game against the Mavericks and post an 11-3 win in front of 2,937 fireworks-ready fans. The Ports increased their season-best winning streak to seven games in the process. Stockton fell behind 3-0, and only had registered a leadoff double from Joaquin Arias --whose 15-game hitting streak remained intact after pulling one into left field-- by the fourth against High Desert starter Greg Bruso. The Ports had committed three infield errors by that point. Fortunes quickly changed. Bruso opened the fifth by hitting leadoff batter Adam Fox. Two outs later, Craig Ringe plated Fox from second with a solid single to left. Bruso did not come out for the sixth. The Ports should be glad for that. Eric Henderson entered and immediately retired the first two Stockton batters on ground-outs. Jeremy Cleveland then singled, and Henderson walked Patrick Boyd and Fox. Nick Gold, who had an RBI triple on Friday, singled home Cleveland and Boyd to knot the score. Chris Jaile followed with a single that brought home Fox and Gold. In the seventh, Stockton added to its lead with a pair of two-out hits. Cleveland doubled home Arias, who had previously walked. He stole third and trotted home when the throw got away. Boyd then doubled to the wall in left-centerfield. "Two-out hits win you ballgames," Ports manager Arnie Beyeler said. "When things are going well, you get them and when things aren't going well you normally don't." Matt Lorenzo notched a save in his first appearance for Stockton. Lorezno, 22, was called up from Single-A Clinton (Iowa) on Thursday. He tossed three innings of hitless relief. "I had a little bit of nerves, but it's good to get the first one out of the way," Lorenzo said. High Desert Box Score: RHP Greg Bruso's performance a highlight; only five hits and no walks earned by the Mavs... GAME DATE: 7/17/04 HD at STK HIGH DESERT 3 AT STOCKTON 11 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG STOCKTON AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs CF 3 0 0 0 .274 J.Arias SS 4 2 2 2 .319 C.Crabbe 2B 4 0 0 0 .279 J.Senreiso DH 5 1 1 0 .283 J.Eure 3B 3 0 0 0 .250 J.Cleveland RF 4 2 2 1 .286 T.Hinton 1B 4 1 1 1 .314 P.Boyd CF 4 1 2 2 .206 F.Villanueva CAT 4 0 1 0 .251 A.Fox 3B 2 2 0 0 .248 B.Van Iderst LF 4 1 1 0 .345 N.Gold 1B 5 1 1 2 .234 T.Farnsworth DH 3 0 1 0 .200 C.Jaile CAT 4 0 1 2 .239 J.Frost RF 4 1 1 1 .256 C.Ringe 2B 3 1 1 1 .224 E.Cruz SS 3 0 0 0 .207 C.Coughlan LF 4 1 0 0 .284 G.Bruso PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Masset PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .148 M.Lorenzo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Nolasco PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 3 5 2 TOTALS 35 11 10 10 HIGH DESERT 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0- 3 5 3 STOCKTON 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 4 X-11 10 3 E--C.Crabbe, F.Villanueva 2, J.Arias, C.Ringe, N.Masset. DP--HIGH DESERT 0, STOCKTON 2. LOB--HIGH DESERT 5, STOCKTON 7. 2B--T.Farnsworth (5), J.Arias (14), J.Cleveland (24), P.Boyd (4). HR--T.Hinton (17). SB--K.Bibbs (26), J.Cleveland (8), C.Coughlan (26). HBP--J.Eure, T.Farnsworth, A.Fox, C.Ringe. SH--K.Bibbs. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT G.Bruso 5.0 2 1 1 0 2 0 5.84 E.Henderson (L,4-5) 2.0 5 6 6 4 0 0 6.78 D.Nolasco 1.0 3 4 3 1 1 0 7.95 STOCKTON N.Masset (W,3-2) 6.0 5 3 2 0 2 1 3.68 M.Lorenzo (S,1) 3.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.00 HB--G.Bruso, D.Nolasco, M.Lorenzo 2. SO--K.Bibbs, J.Eure, F.Villanueva, J.Frost 2, A.Fox 2, C.Ringe. BB--J.Arias, J.Cleveland, P.Boyd, A.Fox 2. T--2:42. A--2937High Desert Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=18838

Huntsville Box Score: GAME DATE: 7/17/04 MTG at HVL MONTGOMERY 4 AT HUNTSVILLE 6 YTD YTD MONTGOMERY AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG A.German CF 5 0 1 2 .254 R.Weeks 2B 5 1 1 0 .261 J.Brewer SS 4 0 0 0 .243 A.Gwynn CF 2 2 2 0 .259 F.Cortez 2B 4 0 1 0 .292 P.Fielder 1B 4 1 2 1 .263 C.Isenia DH 2 1 0 0 .297 B.Nelson LF 4 1 2 1 .278 E.Reece 1B 4 1 1 0 .246 J.Gann RF 4 1 2 3 .333 D.DeMent LF 4 0 1 2 .257 C.Barnwell 3B 4 0 2 0 .252 V.Harrison 3B 3 0 0 0 .143 J.Raburn SS 4 0 2 0 .278 A.Clark RF 4 1 1 0 .212 R.Knox DH 4 0 1 0 .256 D.Massiatte CAT 3 1 1 0 .205 J.Alvarado CAT 4 0 0 0 .143 C.Seddon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Woolard PIT 0 0 0 0 .250 M.Parker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Shelley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Parker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Novinsky PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 4 6 4 TOTALS 35 6 14 5 MONTGOMERY 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2- 4 6 2 HUNTSVILLE 1 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 X- 6 14 0 E--F.Cortez, D.Massiatte. DP--MONTGOMERY 1, HUNTSVILLE 0. LOB-- MONTGOMERY 6, HUNTSVILLE 7. 2B--F.Cortez (18), D.DeMent (15), D.Massiatte (4), R.Weeks (20), A.Gwynn (14), B.Nelson (24). HR--J.Gann (4). SB-- A.Gwynn (25), J.Gann (2), J.Raburn (12). CS--R.Weeks, A.Gwynn, P.Fielder. HBP--C.Isenia. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MONTGOMERY C.Seddon (L,6-5) 4.1 11 6 6 2 2 1 3.97 M.Parker 1.2 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.32 B.Henderson 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 J.Parker 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3.77 HUNTSVILLE G.Woolard 4.1 4 2 2 2 6 0 3.41 J.Shelley (W,2-3) 2.2 0 0 0 0 5 0 4.30 B.Adams 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.56 R.Giron 0.2 2 2 2 0 0 0 1.85 J.Novinsky (S,12) 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3.27 HB--R.Giron. SO--A.German, J.Brewer, F.Cortez, C.Isenia, E.Reece, D.DeMent 3, V.Harrison, A.Clark, D.Massiatte, R.Weeks, J.Gann, R.Knox. BB--C.Isenia, V.Harrison, D.Massiatte, A.Gwynn 2. T--2:47. A--4590Huntsville Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12019

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: HOUSPARTYFollowing a schizophrenic pattern of bad month - good month, Jeff Housman is having his best month ever, winning all three of his starts, giving up just two earned runs on nine hits in 18 innings for a 1.00 ERA. That naturally is raising questions whether a promotion to Indianapolis will come soon........ Ben Hendrickson has been promoted back up to Milwaukee, and this time, perhaps for good. He'll be starting on Monday, replacing Wes Obermueller in their pitching rotation........ Of course, it leaves a big hole to fill at the Triple-A level and one brewerfan.net poster raised the plausible scenario of Housman going up to Indy, and Manny Parra, who has been pitching well at High Desert, moving up to Huntsville, where he was part of the opening day roster, albeit on the disabled list......... But is Housman ready? Consistency hasn't been the overall hallmark of his season......... Housman was 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in April....... In May, he was 1-1 in six starts with a 1.91 ERA. In June, his success was mixed, with two fine four-inning appearances in relief back-to-back, sandwiched between some awful-to-mediocre games --- the result --- a 5.06 ERA........ His bread-and-butter fastball/slider combination has been effective when he pitches smart. His fastball alone won't get hitters out at a higher level very long, but his slider is very good....... He has a strikeout-walk ratio of 4 and 5:1 month-to-month, but still it raises the question of whether he's ready....... I say wait till next year and start him at Indianapolis. There's a little bit of selfishness on my part for saying this, of course. He's turned into the ace of the rotation with injuries and disappointing seasons dotting the pitching staff this year. His presence is essential to a second-half run. Not that he needed it, good support has helped him a ton....... Tonight was no exception and he now averages nine runs per nine IP. (The rest of the season, he's averaged 5.58 runs per nine IP)........ While Housman was holding Montgomery to just three hits and striking out 10 (his 2nd 10K performance in three starts), the Stars were raining down on Jarod Matthews and Willie Glen........ Matthews was one of two All-Stars this year for this Biscuit team, but was 1-2 against the Stars, although he was holding Huntsville hitters to a .190 average........ With a 95-pitch limit tonight, he used 32 of his final total of 95 to serve the Stars 10 hits and a 4-2 lead....... Rickie Weeks and Tony Gwynn, Jr. started Huntsville off in the 3rd inning with back-to-back singles to centerfield......... After Prince Fielder struck out on the way to wearing the collar tonight a night after one of his best games of the year, a passed ball on a 2-0 pitch to Brad Nelson scored Weeks from second base. Nelson walked on four pitches, then Jamie Gann hit his first triple for the Stars on a 1-0 pitch that fell inside the line, then made its way into Joe D.'s spacious foul terrirtory, rolling all the way to the corner........ Gwynn and Nelson scored to give the Stars a 3-0 lead....... That gives Gann, who had his first three-hit game, 12 RBI in 13 games. Chiaron Isenia spoiled a no-hit bid for Housman in the 4th with a first-pitch double over the head of Chris Barnwell down the line......... The tendency for their batters to swing early this inning continued....... Isenia advanced to third on Frank Moore's grounder to Weeks. Eric Reece dropped a two-out single into left-center, scoring Isenia....... Vince Harrison then hit Housman's first pitch sharply to Barnwell. Barney set and had time to retire the hitter, but his strong throw was off-target, tailing low and away from Prince Fielder, skipping under his glove and speeding toward the Biscuits' bullpen, Barnwell's first error since June 26....... Jamie Gann came up with the ball and fired it home in a try to get Reece, but Gann's throw (and he should have been charged with an error) took Kade Johnson far from the plate. The ball looked like it bounced off the net in front of the near-corner of the Stars dugout. Harrison took third, and the Biscuits came as close as they would get in this game........ After that play, Housman and the bullpen retired 15 of the next 18 hitters, getting a force on Moore in the 6th....... Paul Stewart (2.70, 24 GR) and Saul Rivera (0.93, 8 GR) retired the last nine batters in order throwing a combined 26 pitches and getting 18 strikes. Kade Johnson provided an insurance run in the bottom of the 4th with a home run that vaulted over the Corr Wireless sign in left, his first home run since April 29 vs. Chattanooga. KJ also had his first three-RBI day since the 29th........ Kade is having his best month since April when he hit .340. With a .344 July, his average climbed to .246, his best since the end of May. Ten batters came to the plate in the Stars' 6th inning, Matthews faced Barnwell and Johnny Raburn, both of whom reached --- Barnwell on a 2-1 double to the left field wall off the Air Force sign, and Raburn on a short hit to right........ Willie Glen entered with a 1-0, 0.77 mark against the Stars in three games, two of them starts, 12 strikeouts and 2 walks in 11 2/3 innings and just five hits....... Ozzie Chavez chopped a 2-2 pitch to Fernando Cortez, who came in on the infield grass and fired the ball to the plate. Isenia tagged out the sliding Barnwell...... With runners on first and second, KJ sent a 1-1 pitch over the leaping Frank Moore, who was playing back on the infield. Raburn slid home under the incoming throw of Brian Martin in right........ Rickie Weeks then lined Glen's first pitch into center, scoring Chavez, making it 6-2........ After striking out Gwynn to get the second out, Glen walked Fielder and Nelson...... The 3-0 walk to Nelson forced in the Stars' 7th run, as KJ scored........ Jamie Gann's first pitch swing sent the ball through the hole on the left side of the infield, scoring Weeks, loading the bases again, but the Stars had an 8-2 laugher........ KJ's RBI single brought in Johnny Raburn in the 7th, after Raburn led off with a double to left. Righty Glenn Woolard (2-0, 3.29) will try to improve upon a 3 2/3 inning appearance, July 9, when he starts Saturday, facing Montgomery lefty Chris Seddon (6-4, 3.41)......... Seddon gets the best run support on Montgomery's staff - 4.09 runs/9 IP......... The final game of this home series ends Sunday. Ryan Costello will go against Matt Parker. Then the Stars go on a long 12-game, 12-day road trip that pits them against division rivals Mobile, Birmingham, and West Tennessee before they come home again against the Barons on July 31. Bucky Jacobsen made his major league debut Friday night with the Seattle Mariners. The Ms were crushed by the Indians, 18-6, but Bucky hit a two-out single in the 6th inning to finish 1-for-2, with two walks, scoring twice........ Cliff Lee struck him out swinging in his first at-bat in the 2nd inning. The Stars are now 8-5 in July, hitting .299....... Rickie Weeks' stolen base in the game, his 7th in 14 attempts, was his 1st stolen base in July....... Brad Nelson, now hitting .275, has kept his mark consistently in the .270s since the start of the second half....... Chris Barnwell, after a .299 June, is hitting .295 in July. Up the ladder, at Indianapolis, Dave Krynzel is hitting .333 after 10 games since his rehab in Arizona ended. He's leading Indy hitters with a .307 average.......Corey Hart is hitting .277 with 13 HRs, 51 RBIs, and 21 doubles.

Final: Huntsville 6, Montgomery (Devil Rays) 4 Huntsville Site Game Summary: For the third straight night, Huntsville's surging offense reached double digits in hits, banging out 14 in a 6-4 defeat of Montgomery on Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars (13-8, 45-46) have piled up 41 hits over the first three games of the series, all victories. Huntsville remained tied with Birmingham atop the Southern League West second-half standings. Huntsville scored the game's first five runs, and six Stars had multi-hit games, with all but one starter producing at least one hit. Rightfielder Jamie Gann continues to impress after his arrival from independent Bridgeport in the Atlantic League, launching a two-run homer to dead-center, his fourth of the year, and singling in another run. All-Star Brad Nelson doubled, singled and scored a run, and fellow all-star Prince Fielder finished 2-for-4 with one run batted in and one run scored. Tony Gwynn Jr. went 2-for-2 with a double, a steal, two walks and two runs scored. Chris Barnwell and Johnny Raburn had two hits apiece, and Rickie Weeks doubled to extend his hitting streak to nine games and also scored a run. Jason Shelley picked up his second win, retiring eight straight batters in relief of Glenn Woolard. Shelley (2-3) fanned five of the eight hitters he faced. Woolard delivered a solid start, tossing 4 1/3 innings, his longest stint for the Stars, and permitting two runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts, his season-high. Chris Seddon (6-5) suffered the loss, surrendering six runs on 11 hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. John Novinsky recorded the final two outs for his 12th save in 12 chances. Stars lefty Ryan Costello (4-3, 4.93) meets Biscuits righty John Webb (0-0, 6.97) in the series finale on Sunday night at Joe Davis Staduim. Game time is 6:05 p.m.

Final: Pawtucket (Red Sox) 7, Indianapolis 3 Indianapolis Star Game Story: Wow, an actual reporter on site at Victory Field -- maybe the third time all year... Tribe has no answer for Pawtucket's ninth Red Sox score 4 runs in the final inning, leaving Indians feeling 'deflated.' By Andrea Cohen andrea.cohen@indystar.com For the second night in a row, the Indianapolis Indians had their hearts broken by the Pawtucket Red Sox in the ninth inning. Going into the final inning Saturday night at Victory Field, the Indians and Red Sox were tied at 3. But ineffective pitching and poor fielding in the final inning led to four Pawtucket runs, giving the Red Sox (43-51) a 7-3 victory and handing Indianapolis (42-50) its fifth consecutive loss. Indians reliever Jeff Farnsworth loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. With one out, Andy Dominique hit a ground ball to shortstop Luis Figueroa, who threw the ball to third on a fielder's choice. Third baseman Chris Coste turned to get the runner at second to end the inning, but the throw did not get there in time and one run scored. The next Red Sox batter, Earl Snyder, hit a fly ball to right fielder Corey Hart, who did not make the catch, although the play was ruled a two-RBI triple. Indianapolis did not stage a comeback in the ninth. "(Giving up four runs) was kind of deflating," said designated hitter Mark Johnson, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. "If you only give up one or two, you feel like you can come back. But after three or four you're deflated." The Indians were solid on the mound, proficient in the field and productive enough in the batter's box for the first eight innings. After a scoreless first inning, Dominique scored on George Lombard's triple to deep left center field in the top of the second. The Indians answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Johnson's home run down the right-field line. Starting pitcher Adrian Hernandez matched his season-high 10 strikeouts in his seven innings. After giving up one run in the second and two in the third -- one of them because of a balk in the third -- Hernandez buckled down, staying out of trouble most of the time and pitching himself out of a bases-loaded situation in the seventh. "I felt really good, really comfortable out there," Hernandez said. "All my pitches felt good, my slider was good today. I felt really good about myself, but I feel bad at the same time because my team doesn't win. It's a bad situation right now." Brandon Puffer (1-1) pitched two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win for Pawtucket. Liefer sits out After notching four RBIs, including a solo home run in the eighth inning of Friday night's 7-6 loss, the Indians Jeff Liefer complained of a tight lower back before Saturday's game and did not play. Indianapolis Box Score: GAME DATE: 7/17/04 PAW at IND PAWTUCKET 7 AT INDIANAPOLIS 3 YTD YTD PAWTUCKET AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG H.Stanley LF 4 1 2 0 .279 D.Krynzel CF 5 0 2 0 .311 C.Crespo 2B 0 0 0 0 .185 P.Bergeron LF 5 0 1 0 .235 K.Youkilis 3B 4 1 1 1 .268 C.Hart RF 4 0 1 0 .277 B.Daubach DH 5 0 0 0 .310 B.Gemoll 1B 4 1 2 0 .264 A.Dominique 1B 4 2 1 1 .282 C.Coste 3B 4 0 0 0 .279 E.Snyder SS 4 1 2 2 .277 M.Johnson DH 3 1 3 2 .263 A.Hyzdu RF 4 0 2 1 .275 T.Durrington 2B 4 0 0 0 .159 G.Lombard CF 4 0 2 1 .308 L.Figueroa SS 4 1 1 0 .251 G.Lombard LF 0 0 0 0 .308 A.Delgado CAT 4 0 1 1 .174 K.Shoppach CAT 4 0 0 0 .232 A.Hernandez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Schrager 2B 4 1 2 0 .260 J.Farnsworth PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Owens PR 0 1 0 0 .243 J.Owens CF 0 0 0 0 .243 F.Castillo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Puffer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 7 12 6 TOTALS 37 3 11 3 PAWTUCKET 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 4- 7 12 0 INDIANAPOLIS 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 3 11 1 E--C.Coste. DP--PAWTUCKET 1, INDIANAPOLIS 1. LOB--PAWTUCKET 9, INDIANAPOLIS 8. 2B--H.Stanley (14), B.Gemoll (8), L.Figueroa (9). 3B--E.Snyder (1), G.Lombard (1). HR--M.Johnson (4). CS--E.Snyder, A.Hyzdu. HBP--G.Lombard. SF--K.Youkilis. SH--H.Stanley. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA PAWTUCKET F.Castillo 7.0 9 3 3 0 5 1 4.25 B.Puffer (W,1-1) 2.0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2.08 INDIANAPOLIS A.Hernandez 7.0 8 3 3 1 10 0 5.27 J.Farnsworth (L,2-6) 2.0 4 4 4 2 1 0 7.63 HB--A.Hernandez. BALKS--A.Hernandez. SO--H.Stanley, K.Youkilis 2, B.Daubach 2, E.Snyder 2, A.Hyzdu, K.Shoppach, T.Schrager 2, D.Krynzel, B.Gemoll, T.Durrington 2, A.Delgado. BB--A.Dominique, E.Snyder, A.Hyzdu, M.Johnson. T--2:51. A--11349Indianapolis Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=13690

RHP Robbie Wooley starts for Helena tonight. Unfortunately, it appears that the Provo broadcasts for this weekend, carried by Sportsjuice, won't be available online. The Monday and Tuesday games in this series will be. EDIT: Actually, the teams take a break from their series on Sunday -- the Provo squad still plays on BYU's campus while a stadium is built, I believe, and the Mormons won't allow Sunday baseball at their stadium. Well, I just queued up the High Desert game but now realize that it's time to call it a night. No need to go crazy with overnight details, but if folks want to kick things off over the next couple of hours, I'll fill in the blanks early Sunday AM -- thanks.

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes: Includes: BY THE NUMBERS: Since June 1, the Tribe has posted the league?s lowest mark at 14-28. During this period, IL West rivals Columbus (23-19), Toledo (24-18) and Louisville (19-23) have jumped ahead of the Tribe in the standings. Indianapolis has 10 games remaining with Columbus, nine with Toledo and nine contests with Louisville. CLOSE THE DEAL: Since June 6, when IL saves leader Jason Childers (15) left Indianapolis, the club has recorded a 12-25 record and six saves, two each from Matt Childers and Ben Ford. Full notes: www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf

Saturday's Daily Menu : Tune in all over the internet dial after early Milwaukee action... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Adrian Hernandez at home vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox), 7:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate Audio Link (PawSox feed): www.pawsox.com/ HUNTSVILLE: RHP Glenn Woolard at home vs. Montgomery (Devil Rays), 7:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP Greg Bruso at Stockton (Rangers), 9:05 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: RHP Brian Montalbo at home vs. Lansing (Cubs), 7:00 PM Audio link (Lugnuts' feed): www.lansinglugnuts.com/ HELENA: TBD at Provo (Angels), 8:05 PM Audio link (Angels' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pangels ARIZONA ROOKIE: Idle -- we wait another day for the next Mark Rogers outing...

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 50 41 .549 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 50 43 .538 1.0 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 44 49 .473 7.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 42 49 .462 8.0[/b] WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 12 8 .600[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 12 8 .600 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 10 9 .526 1.5 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 7 13 .350 5.0 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 7 13 .350 5.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 13 7 .650 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 13 8 .619 .5 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 12 9 .571 1.5 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 10 12 .455 4.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 7 14 .333 6.5[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 13 8 .619 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 13 8 .619 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 12 9 .571 1.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 11 10 .524 2.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 10 11 .476 3.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 9 12 .429 4.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 9 12 .429 4.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 9 12 .429 4.0[/b] NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 16 11 .593[/b] BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 13 13 .500 2.5 GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 12 14 .462 3.5 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 11 16 .407 5.0 W L PCT GB GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 13 7 .650 RANGERS (TEXAS) 12 8 .600 1.0 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 12 8 .600 1.0 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 11 8 .579 1.5 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 9 .550 2.0[/b] PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 10 10 .500 3.0 ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 9 10 .474 3.5 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 7 13 .350 6.0 ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 4 16 .200 9.0