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Beloit Daily News Game Story: Lugnuts hammer Beloit Dopirak rips 2 home runs By Charlie Corr Daily News staff writer When the Beloit Snappers' most struggling pitcher mixes with the Midwest League's most powerful hitter, it is like adding salt to a pot of hot water to make it boil faster. The Snappers were certainly cooked by Lansing first baseman Brian Dopirak. Dopirak belted two 2-run home runs off Snappers left-hander Greg Kloosterman and the Lugnuts went on to defeat Beloit 12-1 Friday night at Pohlman Field. ``That's a pretty good hitting club on the other side,'' Snappers manager Don Money said. ``They hit the ball out of the ballpark on us. And when that happens, everything else just starts snowballing on you.'' The first of Dopirak's home runs set a new Lansing single season record with his 25th of the year in the third inning. His two-run shot gave the Lugnuts a 3-1 advantage, and that would easily hold up for his team's series-opening win. Dopirak then came up in the fifth and hit No. 26, a scorching two-run homer to left field for a 5-1 lead. His four RBIs gave him the league lead at 74. Three batters after Dopirak's second shot, catcher Jake Fox hit a towering homer to left off reliever Tim Dillard, giving Lansing four runs in the fifth inning and a 7-1 lead. Lugnuts starter Robert Ransom (3-1) settled down after the first inning. He allowed only one hit after the first frame and three for the game. He gave up one run and struck out five through six innings of work. ``He got in a groove and he was pitching inside and out,'' Money said. Ransom and Co. had plenty of offense to back up the pitching. Lansing tallied 16 hits compared to Beloit's four. Kloosterman's outing was not as demolishing as some of his most recent starts. He had six strikeouts in his 4 1/3 innings of work, giving up five runs (four earned). Early on it looked like Lansing was ready to break out the lumber immediately. Tony McQuade and Dopirak each hit warning track fly balls off Kloosterman (2-6) to Snappers center fielder Steve Moss. Lansing was able to salvage a run in the first. Francisco Salas reached on a catcher's interference call, when Carlos Corporan stuck his glove in the way of Salas' swing on a pitchout attempt. Designated hitter Drew Larsen then followed with an RBI single to right to bring in Chris Walker from second base for the game's first run. Corporan had two errors on the night, throwing a ball into right field in the seventh and allowing Lansing to score one of the inning's two runs for a 10-1 lead. Beloit's lone run came from designated hitter Vinny Rottino. He hit an infield single in the bottom of the first, and Terry Trofholz scored all the way from second base on the play. Money tried to play small ball in the fourth inning, trailing 3-1. Drew Anderson led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball. Rottino sacrificed him over to third. But Adam Heether flew out to second and Manuel Ramirez grounded out to the Lugnuts' first baseman Dopirak. Beloit had an opportunity to add a run in the seventh when Rottino led off the inning with a double. But Heether grounded out and Ramirez struck out, leaving Rottino at third with two outs. After a Steve Moss walk, Lugnuts reliever Yorkin Ferreras got Corporan to hit a lineout to shortstop Carlos Rojas. ``We're giving up runs early, and that takes a little pressure off their pitcher,'' Money said. ``When we do get the opportunities to bring a guy in from third base, we're not getting the guys in. We haven't been doing a good job with that all year.'' NOTES: Rottino has had his number on Lugnuts pitching this year. After two hits on Friday, he is now batting .389 (7-for-8) against Lansing pitchers. ...Lugnuts leadoff hitter Chris Walker went 4-for-6 with four singles and two runs. ...Brian Montalbo will head to the hill for the Snappers today (7 p.m. start) to face off against Lansing's Justin Jones for the second game of a four-game set.

High Desert Game Story from the Stockton Record: Ports rally to extend win streak to six By Rick Brewer Record Staff Writer STOCKTON -- Consecutive bouncers traveled about 60 feet each, but they might as well have been stinging singles to the outfield for the impact they carried. With the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday, Stockton Ports' first baseman Nate Gold chopped a bouncer back to the pitcher for an RBI. Moments later, left-handed batting catcher Ben Margalski topped one down the line to a drawn-in first baseman for another RBI. Just like that, the Ports had come from two runs down to tie the High Desert Mavericks. The Ports took the lead in the seventh on a run without a hit, and won the opener of three-game weekend series 5-4 at Billy Hebert Field. The victory marked the Ports' season-high sixth in a row. Number nine hitter Cameron Coughlan walked, went to second on a wild pitch, moved up on a fielder's choice and scored on a balk to score the eventual winning run. Stockton then put the ball in the capable right hand of Josh Rupe. The Chesapeake, Va. native tossed four innings of two-hit relief to notch his first victory as a member of the Ports. The streak seemed in jeopardy early as High Desert grabbed a 4-0 lead by the fifth. Leadoff batter Kennard Bibbs walked and scored on Jeff Eure's double down the left-field line in the first. The Mavericks scored two runs on two hits in the fourth. Eure's RBI single in the fifth gave the Mavericks their fourth run. But High Desert starter Bo Hall tired, and the Ports began to time his pitches. Adam Fox singled to lead off the fifth, and scored on Gold's triple to the angle in right-centerfield. Bibbs did a nice job to take the carom and make a play on Gold at third, but the Texas Rangers' 10th-round draft choice in 2002 slid ahead of the tag for his second three-bagger of the season. Gold, Fox and Jeremy Cleveland each had two hits for Stockton, which improved to 13-9 in the California League's second-half standings. Joaquin Arias' first inning single increased his team-leading hitting streak to 13 games.

Huntsville Times Game Story: Nobody's unlocking Housman anymore Stars pitcher beats Biscuits for third straight win By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com This isn't the same Huntsville-Montgomery rivalry that saw the Biscuits winning six of seven games. Nor is it the same Jeff Housman who began the season 1-5 for the Stars. The Stars pummeled the Biscuits 9-2 Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium with a 16-hit barrage in front of an announced crowd of 3,862, Huntsville's second win in a row against Montgomery. Jamie Gann and Kade Johnson both had three hits and three RBIs for the Stars. Gann has now hit safely in 11 of his 13 games since arriving in Huntsville; Johnson had a homer, his first since April as he has hit a hot streak, going 7-for-17 in the last five games. But the pummeling was almost unnecessary considering the work of Housman, a 23-year-old lefty from Visalia, Calif. Housman was equal parts scalpel and chain saw, slicing up Montgomery with 10 strikeouts in six innings work, allowing only three hits. It was the third straight victory for Housman, who has allowed only eight hits and two earned runs while striking out 24 batters in his last 18 innings of work. It was a tired Housman, with 103 pitches worth of work, who sat behind a laptop computer Friday night after the game, checking e-mail and catching his breath. His sudden emergence as a strikeout pitcher - more than one K per inning this season after averaging less than half a strikeout per inning in the past - has even caught him somewhat by surprise. "I don't know,'' Housman said. "It's all about my fastball command and my slider is working. And guys are swinging at it.'' He is not an overpowering strikeout pitcher. "He mixed it up, kept them off-stride and when he got ahead he either painted a fastball or a less-reachable off-speed pitch they couldn't lay off of,'' said pitching coach Fred Dabney. "He deceives the guys pretty good. They end up swinging at the balls in the dirt,'' added manager Frank Kremblas. As much as anything, Housman noted, "They're playing good (defense) for me and scoring runs. That's making it somewhat easier.'' Indeed, the Stars got five runs for him in the second inning of his previous start. This time it was a 3-zip lead in the third against Montgomery starter Jarod Matthews. Rickie Weeks cracked a one-out single, took second on a single by Tony Gwynn Jr., stole third and scored on a passed ball. After Brad Nelson was walked, Gann tripled to left to score Gwynn and Nelson. Chairon Isenia doubled to lead off the Montgomery fourth and scored on a two-out hit by Eric Reece. A throwing error by Huntsville third baseman Chris Barnwell - wide but catchable at first base - permitted the Biscuits to cut the lead to 3-2. Johnson's homer in the fourth made it 4-2, then the sixth brought an avalanche, with 10 Huntsville hitters facing Matthews and reliever Willie Glen. Barnwell doubled and Johnny Raburn singled to chase Matthews. After one out, Johnson singled home a run and Weeks delivered an RBI single. After a pair of walks, one with the bases loaded to Nelson, Gann delivered a two-out single after a pair of walks, giving him three RBIs for the game - and 12 as a Star. A Raburn double and Johnson single completed the scoring in the seventh. Paul Stewart, with two perfect innings of relief and Saul Rivera with a perfect ninth, sewed things up perfectly for Housman. Game three of the series is tonight at 7:05, with a 6:05 game Sunday. Glenn Woolard (2-0), making only his second start for Huntsville, will face Chris Seddon (6-4). Matt Parker, the former Huntsville pitcher, throws for Montgomery on Sunday.

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Pawtucket stunned the Indians Friday night, scoring a pair of runs in the ninth inning off Tribe closer Ben Ford to defeat the Tribe, 7-6. Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis smashed a ground ball base hit to left field off Ford, driving in Henri Stanley with what proved to be the game winning run. Pawtucket?s victory spoiled a great effort from Tribe right fielder Jeff Liefer, who collected three hits, including a mammoth home run in the eighth inning. Indianapolis starter Jorge De La Rosa struck out the first five of six batters he faced, but gave way in the fifth inning to reliever Travis Phelps. De La Rosa allowed three runs on five hits, walked one and struck out eight. Indians manager Cecil Cooper was ejected from the game in the top of the eighth inning after a controversial call at home plate, in which Youkilis slid under the tag of catcher Alex Delgado. Indianapolis (42-49) loses its fourth straight game, while Pawtucket (42-51) wins its second straight. The two teams meet Saturday at 7 p.m. on Indians card set night.

Final: Helena 13, Ogden (Dodgers) 5 Helena Independent Republic Game Summary: Brewers batter Raptors By IR Staff OGDEN, Utah ? After weathering a two-hour, two-minute rain delay Friday night, the Helena Brewers rained runs all over the Raptors. Helena racked up 11 runs in the first three innings one night after suffering a 21-3 whipping by Ogden. The game ended just before midnight with a 13-5 win by Helena. The Brewers took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first, with RBI hits from Grant Richardson, Charlie Lozada and Clay Blevins. Adam Mannon hit a bases-clearing double in the second inning. Richardson drove in another run in the top of the third. Helena moves to Provo for a four-game series today at 7 p.m. (8:00 Central). Ogden Standard Examiner Game Summary: Raptors bats a no show After long delay, Helena coasts to easy victory By JASEN ASAY Standard-Examiner staff jasay@standard.net Ogden -- First came the downpour of rain at Lindquist Field Friday evening, then came the onslaught of hits courtesy of the Helena Brewers. After a two-hour rain delay the Ogden Raptors finally took the field against the Brewers, but may have wished they hadn't as the Brewers racked up 13 hits to take an 11-0 lead after three innings. Just before midnight, Helena beat Ogden 13-5 to win the series two games to one. Ogden starter Phil Sobkow had a rough outing before leaving the game with no outs in the second inning after getting nailed with a line-drive ball. Sobkow gave up seven runs from five hits and two walks. While Sobkow struggled at the mound, Helena's Justin Barnes struck out five of the first six batters he faced. Ogden finally got on the board in the fifth when Travis Denker hit a solo home run to cut Helena's lead to 12-1. Ogden then added two more runs in the sixth vs. Helena reliever Josh Wahpepah. Raptor officials wanted to make sure the game got played because if it had been postponed, the only time the teams could play a make-up game would be next week when Ogden travels to Helena for a four-game series. Playing five games in four days would not be favorable to the teams' pitching staffs. With the Raptors opening a four-game series against Missoula tonight at Lindquist Field and Helena traveling to Provo today, playing later into the night didn't bother either of the teams. Helena Box Score: Adam Mannon on base in five of six plate appearances; Charlie Lozada just turned 19 in June -- if he can play his listed spot of catcher at all, we should be talking him up, as he hit last year as well; Alcides Escobar stole his base with the Brewers up 9-0 -- didn't sit too well with the Raptors... GAME DATE: 7/16/04 HEL at OGD HELENA 13 AT OGDEN 5 YTD YTD HELENA AB R H BI AVG OGDEN AB R H BI AVG S.Sollmann 2B 4 2 0 0 .273 E.Marcos CF 5 0 0 0 .356 A.Festa 3B 5 3 3 0 .301 L.May SS 4 1 0 0 .253 G.Richardson 1B 6 4 3 2 .376 B.Dewitt 3B 3 1 1 0 .320 A.Mannon RF 4 1 3 3 .316 D.Bruce 3B 0 1 0 0 .364 C.Lozada DH 4 1 4 2 .364 L.Castillo DH 4 0 0 1 .365 C.De La Cruz PH 0 0 0 0 .150 C.Dunlap 1B 2 0 0 0 .321 C.De La Cruz DH 0 0 0 0 .150 M.Lynch 1B 2 1 2 1 .435 J.Serfass LF 6 1 1 2 .224 D.Batz LF 3 0 0 0 .385 C.Fermaint CF 5 0 1 0 .241 J.Ruggiano RF 2 0 1 0 .347 C.Blevins CAT 5 0 2 2 .256 R.Russ RF 2 0 1 2 .533 A.Escobar SS 4 1 0 0 .231 T.Denker 2B 3 1 1 1 .295 J.Barnes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Pujols CAT 4 0 2 0 .174 J.Wahpepah PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Sobkow PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Akin PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Garcia PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Klusman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 43 13 17 11 TOTALS 34 5 8 5 HELENA 5 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 1-13 17 0 OGDEN 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 0- 5 8 2 E--L.May, D.Batz. DP--HELENA 1, OGDEN 2. LOB--HELENA 11, OGDEN 6. 2B--G.Richardson (7), A.Mannon 2 (10), C.Fermaint (5), C.Blevins (3), B.Dewitt (7). 3B--R.Russ (1). HR--T.Denker (3). SB--A.Escobar (8 ). HBP--A.Festa, A.Escobar, D.Batz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HELENA J.Barnes (W,3-0) 5.1 2 2 2 2 9 1 2.81 J.Wahpepah (S,1) 3.2 6 3 3 1 0 0 3.79 OGDEN P.Sobkow (L,0-2) 1.0 5 7 5 2 3 0 5.84 B.Akin 1.2 8 4 3 0 2 0 6.87 J.Garcia 4.1 2 1 1 3 3 0 6.23 J.Klusman 2.0 2 1 0 1 2 0 4.00 HB--J.Wahpepah, B.Akin, J.Garcia. WP--P.Sobkow, B.Akin. PB--K.Pujols 2. SO--S.Sollmann, A.Festa 2, G.Richardson, A.Mannon, J.Serfass, C.Fermaint 3, A.Escobar, E.Marcos 2, L.May 2, B.Dewitt, L.Castillo, D.Batz, K.Pujols 2. BB--S.Sollmann 2, A.Mannon 2, C.De La Cruz 2, L.May, D.Bruce, T.Denker. T--2:55. A--3044Helena Game Log: Justin Barnes walked two -- he stinks http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=16907

Final: Stockton (Rangers) 5, High Desert 4 4-0 Maverick lead evaporates... High Desert Box Score: GAME DATE: 7/16/04 HD at STK HIGH DESERT 4 AT STOCKTON 5 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG STOCKTON AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs CF 3 1 0 0 .277 J.Arias SS 3 0 1 0 .317 C.Crabbe 2B 4 1 0 0 .282 J.Hoffpauir DH 4 0 0 0 .322 J.Eure 3B 4 0 2 2 .254 J.Cleveland RF 4 1 2 0 .283 T.Hinton 1B 4 0 0 0 .315 P.Boyd CF 3 1 0 0 .167 J.Vanden ber CAT 2 1 0 0 .285 A.Fox 3B 3 1 2 0 .250 B.Van Iderst LF 4 0 3 0 .352 N.Gold 1B 4 1 2 2 .234 T.Farnsworth DH 4 1 3 1 .196 B.Margalski CAT 4 0 0 1 .200 J.Frost RF 4 0 1 0 .256 C.Ringe 2B 2 0 0 1 .222 E.Cruz SS 4 0 0 1 .210 C.Coughlan LF 2 1 1 0 .288 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Akens PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Rivard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Russ PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Kusiewicz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Rupe PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 4 9 4 TOTALS 29 5 8 4 HIGH DESERT 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0- 4 9 2 STOCKTON 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 X- 5 8 1 E--J.Vanden ber, B.Hall, A.Fox. DP--HIGH DESERT 1, STOCKTON 3. LOB--HIGH DESERT 7, STOCKTON 5. 2B--J.Eure (10), B.Van Iderst (8), J.Frost (13). 3B--N.Gold (2). CS--J.Hoffpauir. HBP--P.Boyd. SF-- C.Ringe. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT B.Hall 5.0 7 4 4 1 6 0 5.94 R.Rivard (L,0-2) 1.2 1 1 1 1 0 0 3.24 M.Kusiewicz 1.1 0 0 0 1 2 0 4.09 STOCKTON P.Akens 3.0 3 1 1 2 2 0 0.90 C.Russ 2.0 4 3 3 2 0 0 5.02 J.Rupe (W,1-0) 4.0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0.68 HB--B.Hall. WP--R.Rivard. BALKS--R.Rivard, C.Russ. PB--B.Margalski. SO--K.Bibbs, J.Eure, T.Hinton, E.Cruz, J.Arias, J.Cleveland, P.Boyd 3, B.Margalski 2, C.Ringe. BB--K.Bibbs 2, C.Crabbe, J.Vanden ber 2, J.Arias, A.Fox, C.Coughlan. T--2:46. A--898High Desert Game Log: Double plays a killer... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=18837

Huntsville Box Score: LHP Jeff Housman only turns 23 next month... GAME DATE: 7/16/04 MTG at HVL MONTGOMERY 2 AT HUNTSVILLE 9 YTD YTD MONTGOMERY AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG A.German CF 2 0 0 0 .255 R.Weeks 2B 5 2 2 1 .262 D.DeMent LF 4 0 0 0 .257 A.Gwynn CF 5 1 2 0 .254 D.DeMent 2B 0 0 0 0 .257 P.Fielder 1B 4 0 0 0 .260 F.Cortez 2B 3 0 0 0 .292 B.Nelson LF 3 1 2 1 .275 A.Clark LF 1 0 0 0 .211 J.Gann RF 5 0 3 3 .320 C.Isenia CAT 4 1 1 0 .303 C.Barnwell 3B 5 0 2 0 .248 F.Moore 1B 4 0 1 0 .167 J.Raburn DH 3 2 2 0 .274 B.Martin RF 4 0 0 0 .243 O.Chavez SS 4 1 0 0 .205 E.Reece DH 4 1 1 1 .246 K.Johnson CAT 4 2 3 3 .246 V.Harrison 3B 4 0 0 0 .156 J.Housman PIT 0 0 0 0 .250 J.Brewer SS 2 0 0 0 .248 P.Stewart PIT 0 0 0 0 .111 J.Matthews PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Rivera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 W.Glen PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Benedetti PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 2 3 1 TOTALS 38 9 16 8 MONTGOMERY 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0- 2 3 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 3 1 0 4 1 0 X- 9 16 1 E--C.Barnwell. DP--MONTGOMERY 0, HUNTSVILLE 0. LOB--MONTGOMERY 6, HUNTSVILLE 9. 2B--C.Isenia (4), B.Nelson (23), C.Barnwell (16), J.Raburn (9). 3B--J.Gann (1). HR--K.Johnson (5). SB--A.German (2), R.Weeks (7). CS--A.Gwynn, J.Raburn. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MONTGOMERY J.Matthews (L,2-7) 5.0 10 6 6 2 4 1 3.39 W.Glen 1.0 3 2 2 2 2 0 5.06 J.Benedetti 2.0 3 1 1 0 1 0 2.50 HUNTSVILLE J.Housman (W,4-5) 6.0 3 2 1 3 10 0 3.11 P.Stewart 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.00 S.Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.93 WP--J.Housman. PB--C.Isenia, K.Johnson. SO--A.German 2, D.DeMent, F.Cortez 2, F.Moore, B.Martin 2, E.Reece, V.Harrison 2, J.Brewer, R.Weeks, A.Gwynn, P.Fielder, J.Gann, C.Barnwell 2, J.Raburn. BB-- A.German 2, J.Brewer, P.Fielder, B.Nelson 2, J.Raburn. T--2:50. A--3862Huntsville Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12016

Indianapolis Box Score: Interesting pitching line for Jorge de la Rosa... GAME DATE: 7/16/04 PAW at IND PAWTUCKET 7 AT INDIANAPOLIS 6 YTD YTD PAWTUCKET AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG J.Owens CF 4 0 0 0 .243 D.Krynzel CF 5 1 3 0 .307 H.Stanley PH 1 1 1 1 .273 P.Bergeron LF 4 2 2 0 .236 H.Stanley LF 0 0 0 0 .273 C.Hart DH 4 1 1 1 .277 K.Youkilis 3B 5 2 3 1 .268 J.Liefer RF 5 1 3 4 .294 B.Daubach 1B 4 1 1 0 .320 C.Coste 3B 3 0 0 0 .286 A.Dominique DH 5 1 3 2 .282 B.Gemoll 1B 4 0 1 0 .256 E.Snyder SS 5 0 0 0 .274 T.Durrington 2B 4 0 0 0 .167 A.Hyzdu RF 4 0 2 1 .271 L.Figueroa SS 3 0 0 0 .251 J.Sherrod LF 3 0 0 0 .275 A.Delgado CAT 3 0 0 0 .171 G.Lombard PH 0 1 0 0 .292 M.Johnson PH 1 1 1 0 .251 G.Lombard CF 0 0 0 0 .292 J.De La Rosa PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Shoppach CAT 4 1 1 1 .236 T.Phelps PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 C.Crespo 2B 3 0 0 0 .185 B.Ford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Kim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Cassidy PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Almonte PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Martinez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Malaska PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 38 7 11 6 TOTALS 36 6 11 5 PAWTUCKET 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 3- 7 11 3 INDIANAPOLIS 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1- 6 11 0 E--B.Daubach, J.Sherrod, C.Crespo. DP--PAWTUCKET 2, INDIANAPOLIS 0. LOB--PAWTUCKET 7, INDIANAPOLIS 8. 2B--H.Stanley (13), A.Dominique 2 (20), A.Hyzdu (21). 3B--D.Krynzel (4). HR--K.Shoppach (13), J.Liefer (12). SB--G.Lombard (4), C.Crespo (1). CS--D.Krynzel, P.Bergeron, L.Figueroa. HBP--L.Figueroa. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA PAWTUCKET B.Kim 3.2 4 4 2 1 0 0 3.65 S.Cassidy 2.2 2 0 0 1 0 0 4.70 E.Almonte (W,4-5) 1.2 2 1 1 1 1 1 4.68 A.Martinez 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 0 3.97 M.Malaska (S,1) 0.2 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.63 INDIANAPOLIS J.De La Rosa 4.1 5 3 3 1 8 1 5.72 T.Phelps 3.2 3 1 1 0 1 0 4.56 B.Ford (L,0-1) 1.0 3 3 3 2 2 0 6.43 HB--B.Kim. WP--J.De La Rosa. BALKS--J.De La Rosa. PB--A.Delgado. SO--J.Owens, B.Daubach 2, A.Dominique, E.Snyder 2, A.Hyzdu, J.Sherrod 2, K.Shoppach, C.Crespo, C.Hart, J.Liefer. BB--B.Daubach, G.Lombard, C.Crespo, P.Bergeron, C.Hart, C.Coste 2. T--3:03. A--11957Indianapolis Game Log: Bizarre stat of the night -- David Krynzel is hitting .510 at Victory Field (25-for-49) and is at .120 (6-for-50) on the road... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=13687

Beloit Box Score: Long, lost season for LHP Greg Kloosterman; nine hits vs. eight outs for RHP Tim Dillard... GAME DATE: 7/16/04 LAN at BLT LANSING 12 AT BELOIT 1 YTD YTD LANSING AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG C.Walker CF 6 2 4 0 .286 G.Rodriguez 2B 4 0 0 0 .260 T.McQuade LF 4 3 2 1 .275 T.Trofholz RF 4 1 1 0 .314 B.Dopirak 1B 5 2 3 4 .307 D.Anderson LF 4 0 1 0 .289 F.Salas 2B 3 1 2 2 .290 V.Rottino DH 3 0 2 1 .292 D.Larsen DH 5 2 2 1 .236 A.Heether 3B 4 0 0 0 .252 J.Fox CAT 5 1 2 2 .264 M.Ramirez 1B 2 0 0 0 .270 A.Garcia 3B 5 0 0 1 .289 S.Moss CF 2 0 0 0 .224 C.Mejia RF 5 0 1 0 .229 C.Corporan CAT 3 0 0 0 .221 C.Rojas SS 5 1 0 0 .217 J.Murray SS 3 0 0 0 .166 R.Ransom PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Kloosterma PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 Y.Ferreras PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Dillard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Rapada PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 43 12 16 11 TOTALS 29 1 4 1 LANSING 1 0 2 0 4 1 2 2 0-12 16 0 BELOIT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 4 3 E--S.Moss, C.Corporan 2. DP--LANSING 1, BELOIT 0. LOB--LANSING 6, BELOIT 4. 2B--D.Larsen (11), V.Rottino (16). HR--B.Dopirak 2 (26), J.Fox (7). SB--T.Trofholz (34). SH--V.Rottino. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANSING R.Ransom (W,3-1) 6.0 3 1 1 1 5 0 3.12 Y.Ferreras 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 C.Rapada 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.19 BELOIT G.Kloosterma (L,2-6) 4.1 7 6 5 2 6 2 8.92 T.Dillard 2.2 9 6 4 0 2 1 4.53 T.Taubenheim 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 4.05 PB--J.Fox. SO--B.Dopirak, F.Salas, D.Larsen 2, J.Fox 2, C.Mejia 3, C.Rojas 2, G.Rodriguez, T.Trofholz, D.Anderson, A.Heether, M.Ramirez, C.Corporan 2. BB--T.McQuade, F.Salas, M.Ramirez, S.Moss. T--2:21. A--1443Beloit Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12504

Final: Huntsville 9, Montgomery (Devil Rays) 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: The Stars hammered out 16 hits and starter Jeff Housman fanned 10 Biscuits in Huntsville?s 9-2 whipping of Montgomery on Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars (12-8, 44-46) have won two straight games to retain a share of first place in the Southern League West second-half standings. Housman won his third straight start with six outstanding innings, fanning nine or more for the fourth time this season. Housman (4-5) allowed just two runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks. Over the first three frames, Housman fanned six and did not permit a hit. Kade Johnson and Jamie Gann led the Stars? offensive explosion, both rapping three hits apiece. Johnson launched his fifth homer, his first since April, drove in three runs and scored two, while Gann tripled, singled twice and knocked in three. Rickie Weeks had two singles, one run batted in and two runs scored, extending his hitting streak to eight games, and Tony Gwynn Jr. finished 2-for-5 with two singles and one run scored. Brad Nelson also had two hits, one run batted in and one run scored, and Chris Barnwell and Johnny Raburn had two hits apiece, both doubling once and Raburn scoring two. All-star Jarod Matthews (2-7) suffered the loss, surrendering six earned runs on 10 hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings. Stars relievers Paul Stewart and Saul Rivera were both perfect, Stewart retiring all six batters he faced and fanning one, Rivera working a 1-2-3 ninth. Stars righty Glenn Woolard (2-0, 3.29) meets Biscuits lefty Chris Seddon (6-4, 3.41) in game three of the series on Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Helena RHP Justin Barnes has now retired the first six batters of the game,striking out five (with one weak groundout). He has now struck out 35 and walked one in 22.1 IP -- on his way to posting numbers of just ridiculous proportions. And I find myself listening to a 9-0 third inning blowout just so I can take in more of Barnes' performance -- wow.

In progress: Helena 9, Ogden (Dodgers) 0, after 1.5 innings in Ogden Looks like the H-Brewers are out for revenge after Thursday's 21-3 debacle...

Final: Lansing (Cubs) 12, Beloit 1 Beloit Site Game Summary: The Lansing Lugnuts defeated the Beloit Snappers 12-1 at Pohlman Field. Greg Kloosterman took the loss for Beloit pitching 4.1 innings and allowing six runs, five earned on seven hits while striking out six. Lansing scored one run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Beloit would tie the game 1-1 on an infield single by Vinny Rottino in the bottom of the first. The Lugnuts broke the tie with two runs in the top of the third as they took a 3-1 lead and never looked back. Lansing would score four runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two each in the seventh and eighth.

Final: Pawtucket (Red Sox) 7, Indianapolis 6 Well, this was entertaining, to say the least; Indy closes to within one run and loads the bases with just one out in the bottom of the ninth -- earlier hero Jeff Liefer strikes out on three pitches and Chris Coste grounds back to the mound to end it; and yes, Al the Thinking Man, the Link Report comments probably focus on wins and losses more than they should -- while I'm not big on "the Brewers need to keep Indianapolis as a AAA affiliate or they're doomed to Ottawa or Edmonton" theory, there's no doubt things are shaping up as bleak for yet another Tribe season, and Jason Childers' departure and the black hole it's left is contributing to the loss of what is considered a plum relationship -- just a thought...

Arizona Brewers Box Score: Turns out it wasn't a Mark Rogers day, but 2nd round pick Yovani Gallardo makes his pro debut; we're guessing that the "Garcia" listed is RHP Miguel, down from Helena; high school LHP Brandon Parillo now with seven scoreless pro innings -- only two hits allowed... CUBS 3 AT BREWERS 4 YTD YTD CUBS AB R H BI AVG BREWERS AB R H BI AVG C.Quinones CF 5 1 3 0 .293 A.Delarosa LF 2 0 0 0 .333 Z.Green RF 5 0 1 0 .333 F.Parejo LF 1 0 0 0 .284 J.Martinez SS 2 0 0 0 .333 H.Iribarren 2B 3 2 1 0 .464 A.Smith SS 2 0 0 1 .000 S.Chapman CF 4 0 1 0 .229 E.Puello 3B 2 1 1 1 .242 F.De La Cruz 3B 4 2 1 1 .295 M.Reed CAT 2 0 0 0 .250 A.Ayala 1B 4 0 2 2 .263 R.Canzler DH 3 0 2 1 .167 O.Angulo PR 0 0 0 0 .235 L.Perez 1B 3 0 0 0 .255 C.Gallardo 1B 0 0 0 0 .348 D.Smith 2B 4 0 0 0 .000 N.Corredor CAT 4 0 1 0 .324 A.Joseph LF 3 1 2 0 .203 J.Blanc RF 2 0 1 0 .286 A.Santana PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Leclercq SS 2 0 0 0 .222 F.Delie PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Arias DH 3 0 0 0 .188 A.Jones PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 Y.Gallardo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Parillo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 Garcia PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Malave PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 3 9 3 TOTALS 29 4 7 3 CUBS 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0- 3 9 2 BREWERS 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 X- 4 7 1 E--D.Smith, A.Santana, F.De La Cruz. DP--CUBS 1, BREWERS 0. LOB-- CUBS 9, BREWERS 5. 2B--H.Iribarren (4), A.Ayala (5), N.Corredor (4). 3B--Z.Green (4), F.De La Cruz (3). SB--F.De La Cruz (4), L.Leclercq (3). CS--R.Canzler, A.Joseph, S.Chapman, J.Blanc. HBP--E.Puello, M.Reed. SF--A.Smith. SH--J.Blanc. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CUBS A.Santana 6.0 4 2 2 3 3 0 2.61 F.Delie (L,1-3) 1.2 3 2 0 0 1 0 7.00 A.Jones 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10.80 BREWERS Y.Gallardo 2.0 3 1 1 0 4 0 4.50 B.Parillo 3.0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0.00 Garcia 2.0 3 2 2 2 0 0 9.00 R.Malave (W,1-1) 2.0 2 0 0 1 2 0 4.76 HB--B.Parillo, Garcia. WP--Y.Gallardo, B.Parillo, Garcia 2. SO-- Z.Green 2, M.Reed, R.Canzler, L.Perez 2, D.Smith 2, A.Joseph, H.Iribarren, S.Chapman, F.De La Cruz, L.Leclercq. BB--E.Puello, M.Reed, R.Canzler, L.Perez, A.Joseph, A.Delarosa, H.Iribarren, L.Leclercq. T--2:39.

In progress: Pawtucket (Red Sox) 7, Indianapolis 5, bottom of the ninth in rainy Indianapolis Jeff Liefer hits a mammoth 8th inning HR at Indy to break a 4-4 tie; Ben Ford manages to blow the save with a hideous inning - oh man, do things stand to get ugly with this affiliate in the second half -- absolute mess of a closer by committee situation since the ill-advised trade of Jason Childers; oh well, there's still the bottom of the ninth...

Was very anxious to listen to Justin Barnes pitch for Helena tonight -- be aware of this from the Ogden site: Tonight's game with the Helena Brewers has been delayed due to rain. We are hoping to start the game around 7:45 or 8:00 PM -- that's 8:45 or 9:00 PM Central.

We'll give a Link Report sendoff to Ben Hendrickson in this, what will likely (and hopefully) be the last article written on him from a minor league perspective: by Phil Leichner, Minor League Baseball Staff Writer Picture this: Your first ever All-Star game and you're given the enviable task of starting the game. It wasn't too long ago that you were coming back from an elbow injury that sidelined you for two months in the 2003 season. For Indianapolis Indians pitcher Ben Hendrickson, it was quite an honor that he was given the nod to start this past week?s Triple-A All-Star Game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Look at the numbers he has put up in the International League this season: an 8-2 record with an ERA of 2.27, good for first in the IL, and 74 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched. Taking the mound to start Wednesday night?s affair was the culmination of a brilliant first-half of the season in which the Eden Prairie, Minnesota native found his way to the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation in early June. After spending the 2003 season with Double-A Huntsville of the Southern League, Hendrickson began 2004 with Indianapolis. The 23-year-old got off to a solid start, posting a 3-0 record in the month of April. On April 22nd, he recorded seven strikeouts in 5.1 shutout innings in his second win of the year versus the Toledo Mud Hens. However, the following month Hendrickson did not experience the same type of success. The right-handed hurler only registered one win in six starts and allowed a season high 10 hits against the Durham Bulls on the 23rd (his only win in the month). Hendrickson also endured one of his worst outings of the season in a contest versus the Pawtucket Red Sox. In five innings he allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks. Despite the sub-par month, Hendrickson achieved one goal he had set for himself this season: a call up to the Milwaukee Brewers before they played the Minnesota Twins (his favorite team). "My goal was to get called up before they (Brewers) played the Twins. But it was to stay up there for good, not just go up for one start," Hendrickson explained. The one start came versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 2nd. Hendrickson was shaky in five innings as he allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He fanned two in the loss. Even though he didn't stay up until the Twins series, Hendrickson in part felt he accomplished his goal. "In a way I met my goal but I really didn't. Now I'm just trying to get back up there and help the team win," he stated. After his brief stint with the Brewers, Hendrickson found himself back with Indians and playing as well as he did in April. In his first two starts, he didn't allow a run and earned his fifth win of the season against the Charlotte Knights. Hendrickson yielded just two hits and struck out three in the game. He finished the month a perfect 3-0 in Minor League play. In addition, Hendrickson recorded the longest outing of his career. On the 29th, he tossed a complete game where he struck out nine and allowed one earned run on 109 pitches in a no-decision. Even though the Brewers insist on a 100-pitch limit in all of his outings, Hendrickson carried 95-pitches into the ninth and was given the go-ahead to finish the game. "They want to keep it within reason every time I go out on the mound (right at 100 pitches)," he explained. "If I'm going into the ninth inning like I was earlier this year and had 95 pitches under my belt they would allow me to finish the game." Throwing that many pitches in one game doesn't bother the young hurler either. "It felt good. If you throw 25-30 pitches an inning that is what wears on you not the 12-pitch innings over the course of an entire game," he said. Before the All-Star break, Hendrickson capped the first half of the season with his eighth win of the season. When asked about the first-half, he had this to say: "It?s going good so far. Numbers wise its good. Of course the All-Star game is always fun and this is my first one," Hendrickson commented. "It?s a learning experience for me and on the other hand I just want to relax, have fun and enjoy it." He went on to discuss the honor of being name the International League starting pitcher. "It?s a great honor. The coaches, the media and the players look at you in a different light and it feels good," he stated. As for the game itself, Hendrickson allowed two runs on three hits and walked three. He struck out one as the IL All-Stars defeated the Pacific Coast League, 4-3 in 10 innings. It seems as though Hendrickson?s dominant first half will pay off as a promotion back to Milwaukee is eminent. Although no official announcement has been made by Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, Wes Obermueller, the first half fifth starter for the team, has been demoted to Triple-A leaving an opening for Hendrickson. The Brewers are expected to make a decision by Sunday. Link to the above text: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...s/?id=2037

Link Report Bonus -- Preliminary Olympic Rosters: CANADA Pitchers (10): Chris Begg (Giants), Eric Cyr (Angels), Jason Dickson (Royals), Jeff Francis (Rockies), Mike Johnson (Expos), Mike Kusiewicz (Brewers), Chris Mears (Tigers), Aaron Myette (Reds), John Ogiltree (Blue Jays), Paul Spoljaric. Catchers (2): Pete Laforest (Devil Rays), Andy Stewart (Winnipeg, independent). Infielders (7): Todd Betts (Yankees), Stubby Clapp (Blue Jays), Danny Klassen (Tigers), Justin Morneau (Twins), Kevin Nicholson (Pirates), Peter Orr (Braves), Simon Pond (Blue Jays). Outfielders (5): Rob Ducey (Expos, coach), Jeff Guiel (Blue Jays), Ryan Radmanovich (Somerset, Independent), Adam Stern (Braves), Jeremy Ware (Expos). GREECE Pitchers (10): A.J. Brack (New Haven, independent), Alex Cremidan (Diamondbacks), Laurence Heisler, Meleti Melehes, Christoforos Rompinson, Pete Sikaras (Diamondbacks), Peter Soteropoulos (Cardinals), Sean Spencer (Orioles), Jared Theodorakos (Brewers), Clint Zavaras. Catchers (4): Dimitrios Douros, George Kottaras (Padres), Michael Koutsantonakis, Erik Pappas. Infielders (5): Clay Bellinger (Orioles), Brad Bouras (Cubs), Chris Demetral, Peter Maestrales (Newark, independent), Vasili Spanos (A's), Outfielders (5): Cory Harris (Orioles), Jim Kavourias (Marlins), Bobby Kingsbury (Pirates), Nick Markakis (Orioles), Nick Theodorou (Dodgers).

This is from the Beloit Daily News story at the tail end of Thursday's Link Report. We'll mention it here: (Carlos) Corporan is seeing steady action with starter Lou Palmisano having left the team temporarily. (Manager Don) Money said Palmisano returned to his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., ``for personal reasons,'' and is likely to be out of action another week. Looking forward to the Cap'n's return. Whatever the reason he's rejoined his family, we wish Lou and the Palmisano's well. As with any situation such as this, we'll suggest that speculation not be made, other than to say it'll be nice when the Cap'n returns to the boxscores.

Beloit Daily News Game Story: Bomb squad Four homers top Snappers By Jim Franz Sports Editor Just as gum on your shoes is inevitable on kids' day at Pohlman Field, so apparently is a rough day for the Beloit Snappers' pitching staff. Back on May 13, the Snappers lost a forgettable weekday double-header to Cedar Rapids, 16-0 and 6-0, with 2,000 schoolchildren in attendance. The stands were full of youngsters again Thursday afternoon, from area YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs and all sorts of other summer youth groups and, you guessed it, it was open season on Snapper pitchers. Only this time Beloit kept it interesting against Fort Wayne, with Vinny Rottino's three-run homer in the ninth inning closing the Snappers within the final margin of 11-9. Beloit manager Don Money wasn't willing to slap on a PG-13 rating to keep the kids away. ``It's not the kids, it's our pitch selection,'' Money said. Starter Ken Durost sailed through the first two innings and retired nine of the first ten Wizards, although the only player to reach was Chris Miller on a line-drive solo home run. The Snappers took a brief 3-1 lead in the third inning, but the ``back-breaker,'' according to Money, followed. It was a five-run fourth inning that featured only one hit, a Texas Leaguer by Fernando Valenzuela Jr. Durost hit the first batter, walked the next and loaded the bases on Valenzuela's single. When he walked George Kottaras to force in a run, Money had seen enough. He summoned Dan Grybash from the bullpen. The right-hander didn't have a whole lot better luck than Durost. He hit Brett Bonvechio to tie the game at 3-3, then walked Drew Macias to give the Wizards the lead. ``We threw a lot of pitches in the inning and not many were over the plate,'' Money said. Chris Miller grounded out for another RBI and Juan Ciriaco then grounded to first baseman Manuel Ramirez. He elected to throw home, only catcher Carlos Corporan never made an attempt at a tag on Bonvechio sliding in. ``I don't think he knew the situation,'' said Money, a kind way of saying he forgot it wasn't a force play. Corporan is seeing steady action with starter Lou Palmisano having left the team temporarily. Money said Palmisano returned to his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., ``for personal reasons,'' and is likely to be out of action another week. The Snappers will obviously miss his .301 batting average. ``Yeah, we miss his bat, but other guys are going to step forward and pick us up,'' Rottino said. ``It was just one of those days today. Pitching has been keeping us in games for the most part all year. Today they just gave up a few too many runs.'' Grybash gave up three more runs in the fifth, two coming on Bonvechio's first of two home runs. The Wizards threatened in the seventh against reliever Simon Beresford, but had two baserunners thrown out at the plate on relay throws by second baseman Guilder Rodriguez. ``We run the bases aggressively,'' Fort Wayne manager Randy Ready, an ex-Milwaukee Brewer, said. ``I'm not going to second-guess that. I think both had the chance to score.'' Ready was ejected in the eighth inning after arguing when Miller was called out at third base for leaving early on a flyout by Peter Ciofrone. ``I don't think anyone really knew what was going on on that play except Miller and Ready,'' Ready said with a chuckle. Beloit had made it 9-6 by then, scoring three times and chasing starter Dirk Hayhurst (8-2) in the sixth inning. Adam Heether, Ramirez and Steve Moss hit consecutive singles for one run. Corporan drove in another with a groundout and Rodriguez plated the third with a fielder's choice. Beresford, the recipient of the earlier stellar defense, got a double play to help him in the ninth, but the Wizards' Jordan Pickens sandwiched solo home runs around it. ``Beloit has some offense,'' Ready said. ``We were lucky to have the insurance runs with what Rottino did in the ninth.'' Rodriguez reached on an error and Drew Anderson collected a one-out single before Rottino's blast, his 10th of the season. ``He hung a changeup and I hit it pretty good,'' Rottino said. ``If we don't give up the two homers, we're tied 9-9.'' ``We had our opportunities,'' Money said. ``Nine (runs) just wasn't enough. I'll take nine tomorrow and take my chances.'' NOTES: Rottino finished 2-for-5 with a runs scored and five runs batted in. Ramirez was 3-for-5 and Anderson 2-for-4. ...Beloit will host Lansing at 7 p.m. today with Greg Kloosterman on the mound.

Final: Arizona Brewers 4, Arizona Cubs 3 Details in the AM... FINAL R H E - - - ARIZ CUBS 3 9 2 ARIZ BREWERS 4 7 1

4th rounder Josh Baker -- $320,000 (about slot) Cleveland had to overpay for their high school lefty.... www.baseballamerica.com/d....php?rnd=4

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes: I love Rupert... www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf http://www.indyindians.com/images/rupert.jpg

Huntsville Times Game Story: Fielder stifled no more Stars first baseman drives in all four runs in win over Biscuits By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com Careful. Don't speak too soon. To quote from the Montgomery Biscuits' pregame media notes: "PRINCE STIFLED: Montgomery has done surprisingly well in holding Huntsville's Prince Fielder to a .179 batting average in 15 games this season.'' That's like bragging about going five years without a speeding ticket, then finding flashing blue lights in your mirror two minutes later. That's talking about your good health, the night before you get mugged by a 24-hour virus. Stifled? Stuff it. Fielder merely went 3-for-3 and drove in all four runs on Thursday in the Stars' 4-2 victory over Montgomery, a win that enabled Huntsville to maintain a first-place tie with Birmingham in the Southern League West. Fielder merely raising his batting average against the Biscuits by 41 points. He knew he had been, ahem, stifled by the Biscuits, but thought it was even worse. Asked if he knew his average against Montgomery, Fielder said, "Probably about .062.'' After a busy travel week, Fielder seemed no worse for the wear. The Southern League's two-day All-Star break was no break at all for him. He flew to Houston Saturday and started Sunday for the U.S. team in the annual Futures Game, featuring baseball's top prospects. He flew to Chattanooga Monday, where he was the starting designated hitter for the West team in the Southern League All-Star team Tuesday. Fielder was 1-for-3 in the Futures Game, 1-for-2 in the SL All-Star Game with a two-run homer - and 3-for-3 against the Biscuits Thursday. In between, "I slept all day (on Wednesday),'' he said. According to Stars manager Frank Kremblas, it wasn't so much a matter of who, but when. It was all about timing. Kremblas was well aware of Fielder's floundering against the Biscuits. "But I knew it wouldn't matter. And here's why,'' Kremblas said. "He's struggling for the first time in his life in Double-A and he has to learn how to deal with it. "And what would happen,'' Kremblas continued, "or what kind of event could happen to make him realize he's good? "How about,'' he said, answering his own question, "to get a hit in the Futures Game. And a home run in the (Southern League) All-Star Game. So now he feels like, 'Hey, OK. I can play. These guys are good, but I'm good, too.''' "It gives you a lot of confidence to play against the other Futures guys,'' Fielder said. "Those guys are supposedly the best guys in the minor leagues and to do well against them and have a good All-Star Game gives you confidence.'' Rickie Weeks, also a participant in the Futures Game, added three hits in the Stars' 11-hit barrage against Biscuits pitching, scoring twice. The Biscuits collected nine hits, but it was still a fairly pleasing pitching performance in the eyes of Kremblas and pitching coach Fred Dabney. The Biscuits touched starter Matt Ford for two runs in the second on three consecutive hits and a sacrifice fly, but Ford's final inning of work was one of his best of the season. Brian Adams collected the win with two innings of two-hit relief, and then reliever Fernando Rijo and Roberto Giron carried the game to the ninth, where John Novinsky nailed down his 11th save with a scoreless inning. The Biscuits (7-12 in the second half and 13-30 on the road this season) have another shot at Fielder and the Stars (11-8) tonight as Jarod Matthews (2-6) faces Huntsville left-hander Jeff Housman (3-5). The Stars will have their fingers crossed for good news for more pitchers than simply Housman today. Mike Jones and Chris Saenz, both on the disabled list and both highly regarded prospects, flew to Milwaukee today to be examined by Brewers team physicians. Jones has an ailing shoulder and Saenz a forearm injury.