MassBrew

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: 58 pitches to get two outs... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...249,47178, High Desert third baseman Jeff Eure waits for a late throw after Rancho Cucamonga's Erick Aybar hit a two-run triple in the first inning Tuesday. James Quigg / Victor Valley Daily PressStaff Photographer http://www.vvdailypress.com/storypics2/041404_mavs.jpg

Beloit Daily News Game Story: www.beloitdailynews.com/404/snap14.htm

Here's your Daily Menu for Wednesday: All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: Idle HUNTSVILLE: LHP Matt Ford and LHP Jeff Housman at home in a twinbill vs. Carolina (Marlins), 12:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: LHP Ryan Costello vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Angels), 9:05 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: RHP Greg Moreira at home vs. Peoria (Cardinals), 6:30 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pchiefs

RHP Luis Pena is starting Tuesday night's Snappers' game.

High Desert Box Score: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=17886 High Desert Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=17886

Huntsville Times Game Story: Carolina cools off Stars Huntsville manages just two hits in 5-0 loss in series opener By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com Frank Kremblas has developed a fascination with meteorology. When the capriciousness of Mother Nature affects your livelihood as frequently as it does to the Stars' manager, it's only natural. Late Monday afternoon, Kremblas was sitting in his plush new office chair, twiddling around on his laptop computer. He was on a new Web site that actually puts various stadiums at the bull's-eye of those weather-radar circles that look like targets. His computer screen was a palette of blues and purples and sea-greens and angry splotches of red-orange. Kremblas was, at the moment, essentially a science fair, blue ribbon-winning nerd, with some "Fun With Weather'' project. Except the weather turned out to be a not-so-fun thing for Kremblas, and the hardy 413 souls in attendance. Four hours later, after his team surrendered to the Carolina Mudcats 5-0 with a limp, two-hit effort in blustery, 48-degree weather, you could have hung icicles from his postgame analysis. This was, after all, a game in which the criteria for the press box crew's selection of the "Star of the Game'' was a Huntsville player (Brad Nelson) hitting a double. "They couldn't handle the weather,'' Kremblas said, the weather page still on his laptop. "I heard a lot of complaints about it being cold. "Well, it gets cold everywhere. (The Mudcats are) cold, too. It's cold in October, isn't it? Why you would do things any different here than you would in the big leagues is beyond me. Why would you approach the game any differently here than you would in the big leagues? It's a lack of respect for the staff and for the Brewers.'' Weather permitting, the Stars and Mudcats were to play again today and Wednesday at 12:05 to end this season-opening home stand. Carolina, which beat the Stars in the Southern League championship series last fall, arrived here as the second-hottest offensive club in the league. The Mudcats were batting .326 with 10 homers and 29 runs scored in their four-game split with West Tenn. Not that the Stars had been wimpy. They had averaged 61/2 runs per game in taking three of four from Montgomery, with 16 extra-base hits and nine homers. Peter Bauer, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, held the Stars to two hits in 52/3 innings, striking out four, then the Mudcats bullpen sewed it up with hitless relief. "We didn't hit the ball, and that's a credit to (Bauer),'' Kremblas said. Deserving some credit is Stars starter Chris Saenz. He struck out eight, including five in a row and a stretch of seven out of eight batters. Alas, the first two strikeouts ended a two-run first in which he yielded an infield single, hit a batter - nice welcome home for Florence native Josh Willingham, the Mudcats' catcher and the HBP victim - and gave up a two-run double by Jason Stokes. Then came the strikeout binge. "From there, I had it rolling,'' Saenz said. "I started getting ahead of hitters and hitting my spots.'' Saenz gave up a walk and a single to open the fourth. Then, after a strikeout, he turned the ball over to Ryan Miller, who was touched for back-to-back doubles by Pat Magness and Jimmy Goelz. That produced three more Carolina runs, three unnecessary runs on a night when the Stars bats - and maybe their minds - were in the deep freeze.

Beloit Daily News Game Story: More quotes... www.beloitdailynews.com/404/snap13.htm

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Neugebauer limited to one inning each time out all season? Can't see how that projection can be made so soon, but perhaps so... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...208,51090,

Here's your Daily Menu with multiple workday matinee options: All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Matt Wise and RHP Victor Santos in a doubleheader at Richmond (Braves), 1:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ IMPORTANT TIP: For me, the audio link off of the Indy newstalk1430 page wouldn't work until I had turned off my pop-up blocker for that site -- keep that in mind... Backup audio link (Richmond feed): oursportscentral.com/services/netcasts/ HUNTSVILE: LHP Matt Ford at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 12:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP David Nolasco vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Angels), 9:05 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: TBD (perhaps RHP Tim Dillard) at home vs. Peoria (Cardinals), 6:30 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pchiefs

Final: Beloit 10, Peoria (Cardinals) 4 Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...me_id=1254 Beloit Box Score: GAME DATE: 4/12/04 PEO at BLT PEORIA 4 AT BELOIT 10 YTD YTD PEORIA AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG M.McCoy 2B 5 1 1 0 .200 T.Trofholz RF 4 1 3 2 .364 K.Boyer DH 4 1 2 0 .214 S.Moss CF 2 1 1 0 .083 C.Haerther LF 5 1 1 1 .278 R.Deevers CF 3 0 0 0 .143 T.Evans CF 3 1 1 1 .167 D.Anderson LF 5 1 2 0 .375 J.Santor 1B 2 0 0 1 .067 L.Palmisano CAT 3 2 1 2 .462 T.Parker RF 4 0 0 0 .188 V.Rottino DH 4 1 2 0 .273 M.Dryer 3B 3 0 1 0 .167 A.Heether 3B 5 1 1 2 .214 M.Pagnozzi CAT 3 0 0 0 .200 C.Corporan 1B 4 2 1 2 .250 M.Jaramillo SS 4 0 0 0 .214 J.Murray SS 4 1 2 0 .214 M.Aguero PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Rodriguez 2B 4 0 3 2 .400 R.Scalamandr PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Kloosterma PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Paz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Durost PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Garza PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Grybash PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Brey PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 4 6 3 TOTALS 38 10 16 10 PEORIA 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0- 4 6 0 BELOIT 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 X-10 16 1 E--A.Heether. DP--PEORIA 0, BELOIT 0. LOB--PEORIA 9, BELOIT 9. 2B--L.Palmisano (2), V.Rottino (1), A.Heether (1). HR--T.Evans (2). SB--T.Trofholz (2). HBP--M.Pagnozzi, L.Palmisano, C.Corporan. SF-- J.Santor. SH--T.Trofholz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA PEORIA M.Aguero (L,0-1) 4.0 11 5 5 0 0 0 11.25 R.Scalamandr 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.00 J.Paz 0.1 2 4 4 1 1 0 27.00 J.Garza 0.2 3 1 1 0 1 0 3.38 J.Brey 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 BELOIT G.Kloosterma 3.0 3 3 2 4 0 0 6.00 K.Durost (W,1-0) 4.0 2 1 1 1 5 1 2.25 D.Grybash 2.0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0.00 HB--M.Aguero, J.Paz, K.Durost. WP--M.Aguero, J.Brey 2, G.Kloosterma, K.Durost. SO--M.McCoy 2, C.Haerther 3, M.Dryer, M.Pagnozzi, M.Jaramillo 2, T.Trofholz, R.Deevers 2, D.Anderson, A.Heether, C.Corporan. BB-- K.Boyer, T.Evans 2, J.Santor, M.Dryer, L.Palmisano, V.Rottino. T--3:15. A--394Beloit Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12464

Final: High Desert 4, Rancho Cucamonga (Angels) 3 RHP Glenn Woolard (via the Giants in the Wayne Franklin deal) off to a wonderful start to the season in his first two appearances... Game Summary from the Mavericks' Site: Thanks, Mavs' management... Froilan Villanueva powered a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, lifting High Desert to a 4-3 home opening win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Villanueva hit a 2-2 pitch from Rich Thompson over the left-field fence with Dan Boyd and Scott Candelaria aboard. The Mavericks trailed 3-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth. Thompson got the first two hitters to ground out, then issued a walk to Boyd, followed by Candelaria?s single to set up Villanueva?s heroics. David Bradley earned his first win of the season, pitching the final three innings giving up a run on two hits. Former Milwaukee Brewer Nick Neugebauer started for the Mavericks and pitched one inning in his first game since 2002, as shoulder surgery sidelined him all of last season. Neguebauer gave up two runs on two hits making 17 pitches, throwing 10 for strikes. Glenn Woolard also pitched well for High Desert, working five shutout innings of relief with seven strikeouts. Justin Turner hit a two-run homer for the Quakes and Michael Napoli added an RBI single as Rancho Cucamonga outhit the Mavs 8-6. Daniel Davidson pitched well for the Quakes but received a no decision, pitching five and a third innings surrendering an unearned run and three hits. High Desert hosts Rancho Cucamonga Tuesday night at 7:05 in the second game of a four-game series and game two of a seven-game homestand to start the season for the Milwaukee Brewers high A affiliate. David Nolasco (0-1) pitches for the Mavericks, opposed by Jean Toledo (0-0) of the Quakes. Box Score and Game Log not available as of yet...

Huntsville Box Score: GAME DATE: 4/12/04 CAR at HVL CAROLINA 5 AT HUNTSVILLE 0 YTD YTD CAROLINA AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG E.Reed CF 5 1 1 0 .333 A.Gwynn CF 4 0 0 0 .188 J.Wilson SS 4 0 1 0 .214 C.Barnwell 3B 4 0 0 0 .056 J.Willingham CAT 3 1 0 0 .214 P.Fielder 1B 3 0 1 0 .176 J.Stokes 1B 3 1 1 2 .385 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 0 0 .300 J.Dillon 3B 4 1 2 0 .444 B.Nelson LF 3 0 1 0 .417 C.Ambres RF 4 0 0 0 .263 K.Johnson CAT 3 0 0 0 .333 P.Magness LF 4 1 1 2 .250 J.Belcher RF 3 0 0 0 .083 J.Goelz 2B 4 0 2 1 .389 E.Cruz SS 2 0 0 0 .357 P.Bauer PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 C.Saenz PIT 1 0 0 0 .000 M.McNutt PIT 0 0 0 0 1.000 R.Miller PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Kavourias PH 1 0 0 0 .267 B.Gemoll PH 1 0 0 0 .250 J.Fuell PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Rivard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Knox PH 1 0 0 0 .333 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 5 8 5 TOTALS 29 0 2 0 CAROLINA 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0- 5 8 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 2 0 DP--CAROLINA 0, HUNTSVILLE 0. LOB--CAROLINA 5, HUNTSVILLE 4. 2B-- J.Stokes (1), P.Magness (2), J.Goelz 2 (3), B.Nelson (1). HBP-- J.Willingham. SH--P.Bauer. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CAROLINA P.Bauer (W,1-0) 5.2 2 0 0 1 4 0 0.00 M.McNutt 2.1 0 0 0 0 3 0 2.08 J.Fuell 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.00 HUNTSVILLE C.Saenz (L,0-1) 3.1 3 4 4 1 8 0 10.80 R.Miller 1.2 4 1 1 0 3 0 1.93 R.Rivard 3.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 6.23 R.Giron 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 HB--C.Saenz. BALKS--C.Saenz. PB--K.Johnson. SO--E.Reed, J.Wilson, J.Willingham, J.Stokes 2, J.Dillon, C.Ambres 2, P.Magness 2, J.Goelz, P.Bauer 2, J.Kavourias, A.Gwynn, C.Barnwell 2, R.Weeks 3, K.Johnson, E.Cruz, C.Saenz. BB--J.Stokes, P.Fielder, E.Cruz. T--2:22. A--413Huntsville Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=11952

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: SPRINGTIME IN ALBERTAHuntsville's bats weren't the only thing cold tonight....... The smallest crowd in Joe Davis Stadium history (413) shivered in a northwest wind blowing in at 15 mph that made it seem like 42°. Only the hardiest stuck through it for 2 hours and 22 minutes. The scouts decided they had enough in the 4th inning...... I managed to sit through five, until the cold wind ate through my fingers, until they had trouble helping me write notes in my scorebook. All of you in Wisconsin can go ahead and laugh...... The cold certainly seemed to work for the pitchers tonight, as they combined for 23 strikeouts, three shy of the record for a nine-inning game in club history........ Huntsville's staff had 14. Chris Saenz, in his first start ever for the Stars, fanned 8 in 3 1/3 innings, mostly on fastballs and sliders....... Saenz left after getting his 8th strikeout off Chip Ambres. He had thrown 64 pitches, 40 of them for strikes. But those who Saenz hadn't retired, either reached base and scored or drove in a run....... Leadoff hitter Eric Reed opened the game with a bunt single back to the right side of the mound. One out later, Saenz hit Josh Willingham in the hip with his first pitch, then balked the runners over to second and third, when his spikes caught the rubber, causing him to make a false move........ That proved costly, as Jason Stokes raked a 2-1 pitch to the left-center field gap, going all the way to the wall for a double to drive in both runners....... Carolina led 2-0........ Saenz recovered to strike out five straight hitters and seven of the next eight........ Saenz allowed a walk to Jason Stokes and a broken bat single to Joe Dillon to start the 4th. They scored when Pat Magness, facing relief pitcher Ryan Miller, doubled to left........ Slick-fielding 2nd baseman Jim Goelz then followed with a double, scoring Magness for the 5th and final run........ Goelz turned in the play-of-the-game in the 2nd inning when he made a diving stop of a grounder hit by Kade Johnson, from a kneeling position, he fired the ball to 1st baseman Jason Stokes to get him out by a step. After Goelz's double, Stars pitchers retired 16 of the next 19 batters....... Canadian-born Reggie Rivard, who I'm sure must have thought springtime in Alabama isn't any different than springtime in Alberta, shined in his 2nd outing after allowing 7 hits in 1 1/3 IP last Saturday. Rivard faced 10 batters, retiring all but one --- Goelz, who doubled again, was stranded. The Stars got one runner as far as 2nd base and that was .417-hitting Brad Nelson who doubled in the 5th inning....... Rickie Weeks, after a 6-for-8 start, is now hitless in 12 at-bats........ Peter Bauer went to three-ball counts on Stars hitters four times. Jason Belcher and Enrique Cruz both looked at 3-and-0 counts in the 5th inning........ Over the Mudcats' first 32 innings, pitching coach Gil Lopez's pitchers have gone through 34 three-ball counts. (Lopez was the Stars' pitching coach in 1997)....... On the whole, though, Bauer was ahead on Stars hitters all night......... This was Bauer's first win against the Stars after five previous starts as a part of the Tennessee Smokies in 2001 and 2002. It was by far his best......... Against the Stars, he was 0-3 with a 4.45 ERA with the Smokies, giving up 25 runs in 28 2/3 innings, but only 14 of those runs were earned. Tuesday at noon, the Stars pit Matt Ford against Trevor Hutchinson, who beat the Stars in Game Five of the SL Championship Series last year and hurled six scoreless innings in Game One....... You can't imagine the weather being much worse for baseball than it was tonight, but that's the forecast. Temperatures will drop, and stay in the 40s tomorrow, and to add to the misery, a 40% chance of rain exists and the winds are expected to blow again from the northwest at about 15 mph....... Let's just call the whole thing off and play two on Wednesday.

Final: Carolina (Marlins) 5, Huntsville 0 Huntsville Site Game Summary: The defending league champions? offense looks solid again, and their number five starter pitched a gem as Carolina (3-2) defeated Huntsville (3-2), 5-4, on Monday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Six-foot-seven right-hander Peter Bauer (1-0) baffled the Stars for 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only two hits and one walk while fanning four in his first start of 2004. He retired 10 straight from the first through the fifth and permitted just three baserunners. Bauer went to a three-ball count only four times on route to his first win. The Mudcats? offense used three run-scoring doubles to account for all the tallies in the game. In the first, Eric Reed led off with a bunt-single and one out later Josh Willingham was hit by a pitch. Jason Stokes doubled to left-center, scoring both Mudcats runners for a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, Stokes walked and Joe Dillon blooped a wind-aided single. After starter Chris Saenz fanned Chip Ambres, Ryan Miller came on in relief. Pat Magness doubled home two runs and Jimmy Goelz doubled in Magness to make it 5-0, Carolina. Prince Fielder?s first-inning single and Brad Nelson?s fifth-inning double comprised all Huntsville?s hits. Enrique Cruz and Fielder both drew walks, the Stars? two other baserunners in the contest. Saenz (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on three hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Mike McNutt and Jarrod Fuell combined to shut out Huntsville over the final 3 1/3 innings. Miller, Reggie Rivard and Roberto Giron teamed to shut down the Mudcats over the final five frames. Huntsville pits lefty Matt Ford (1-0, 0.00) against Carolina righty Trevor Hutchinson (1-0, 3.60) in game two of the series on Tuesday at Joe Davis Stadium. Game time is 12:05 p.m.

Indianapolis at Richmond (Braves), postponed, rain The regularly scheduled contest between the Indianapolis Indians and the Richmond Braves has been postponed due to rain today. The game will be made up tomorrow as part of a doubleheader at the Diamond. Opening pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. Tuesday's air time on News Talk 1430 WXNT is scheduled for 12:40 p.m.

Huntsville Times Game Story: Stars chill out in series finale Visiting Biscuits hand Huntsville first loss in cool, steady drizzle By JENNIFER SEIGER For The Times jseiger@excite.com It was the kind of outing from which both nightmares and dreams are made. For Montgomery Biscuits designated hitter B.J. Upton and catcher Iker Franco, it was a productive afternoon. For Huntsville Stars right-handed pitcher Mike Jones and his defense, it was the kind of day they'd rather forget, or at least put behind them. In any case, the end result was a 9-7 victory for the Biscuits on an overcast, soggy Easter Sunday before an announced crowd of 791 that braved the inclement weather at Joe Davis Stadium. More important for Montgomery, it was the first-year team's first win of the season in four tries against the Stars (3-1). "I think it's real important for us to get the first win under our belts," Upton said. "We came up a little short the first three nights." During a game that was marked by slightly chilly conditions, a bit of drizzle and gray skies, Upton and Franco shined for the Biscuits (1-3). Upton was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs while Franco was a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a double of his own. "We just came up to the plate with a different game plan, swinging a little bit more," Upton said. Of the Biscuits' four runs in the top of the ninth inning, three were unearned. Two runs scored on an error to short and another baserunner reached on an errant throw from the mound to help set up Huntsville's demise, although the Stars tried to make a game of it in the bottom of the inning to almost succeed in pulling off a comeback. Montgomery first baseman Jose Velazquez scored the eventual game-winning run on the error to short. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Huntsville got a solo homer from left fielder Brad Nelson - his second in as many days - and a two-run shot from catcher Alex Delgado to close to gap, but Enrique Cruz struck out to end the Stars' rally. "We hit some balls there good in the ninth," Stars manager Frank Kremblas said. "When you're down five in the ninth, it's hard to come back." Jones, meanwhile, had a rough first start of the season in only his second outing since sustaining an elbow strain June 28, 2003. He took the loss, permitting eight hits, five runs - all earned - and two walks while striking out one batter. Right-hander Carlos Hines, who entered the game in the fifth, picked up the win for the Biscuits. He struck out one while allowing three hits and two earned runs in three innings. Brandon Gemoll, Nelson and Cruz each finished with two hits for Huntsville. Gemoll homered in the seventh and finished with two RBIs. Ryan Knox added two RBIs on a pair of sacrifice flies.

I've penciled in LHP Greg Kloosterman for Beloit above, and we've learned that RHP Nick Neugebauer will go one inning tonight in his start for the Mavs, followed up by RHP Glenn Woolard. It will be Neugy's debut as a Maverick; the Brewers were in Mudville (Stockton) in 2000 when Nick last pitched in the California League.

The Beloit Daily News does not have a Sunday edition, so with the day off for the Snappers Sunday, today's article covers Saturday's action -- a good read: www.beloitdailynews.com/404/snap12.htm

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Quotes galore, as usual... www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...770,90732,

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: 3 HRs, BUT NO DEFENSEA post-game Easter Egg Hunt was supposed to draw a nice crowd this Sunday, but Mother Nature showed no respect. It was a cold, blustery, wet afternoon at the Joe. For the very few who came anyway, there was nowhere to run from the wind and the rain. Joe Davis Stadium doesn't have much of an overhang to protect the customers, and where it protects the most, on the first base side, the wind was blowing the mist in on them. About the best place, and I use that in relative terms, was the very top row against the concrete on the third base side, which is where I finally settled after two previous moves. Most everyone with an umbrella settled for the lower concourse seats. I just sat and watched them from above, like a true observer of life, wondering why anyone would want to be there. After four games, two generalities about this team emerge....... Good home run power. No infield defense....... Baseball being what it is, over 140 games in this league, these things can change, but let's take it one at a time....... Nine home runs in four games is a good sign of an offense that can erupt at any time and dig you out of any kind of hole that you don't find yourself too deep in...... That's good. In fact, that's better than the 1985 and 1997 teams, two of the best offensive teams ever. The Stars today broke the club record of seven set by those teams in their first four games....... And even better, they're dispersed pretty evenly on the team........ Brad Nelson and Prince Fielder, your two best home run hitters on paper, have two apiece. Kade Johnson, Enrique Cruz, Ryan Knox, Brandon Gemoll, and Alex Delgado have one each....... The power is up and down the lineup. But with 12 errors in 4 games, you know you have a problem....... The Stars could have won this game in the 9th when it rallied for three runs, and been off to a 4-0 start....... The breakdown: not one error has been by an outfielder, two have been by the pitcher, and one by the catcher. The left side of the infield has half of them........ The outbreak of errors early in the season is history repeating itself when early last year, the Stars set a record for committing 21 errors after just 10 games. It's easy to see that record is being threatened........ Ryan Knox said after the game, "We shoulda beat them."....... No, not with that kind of defense. As manager Frank Kremblas said to them before the game, "It's going to catch up with you."......... It doesn't matter how many runs you score, if you're going to win, you have to have pitching and defense. The 1997 team lacked the pitching (until they got help late in the season). This team's defense, particularly its infield defense, is keeping it from being a truly great team....... In the four game series against Montgomery, the Stars allowed 23 runs, only 13 of which were earned. The 0-3 Biscuits may have been a little more motivated, too........ As I mentioned last night, manager Charlie Montoyo let his team have it in a lengthy tirade in the clubhouse. Unlike the three previous games, the Biscuits were able to take greater advantage of the mistakes the Stars made, especially in the 9th inning inning. Montgomery had a slim 5-4 lead going into the 9th....... Brian Adams started it out by giving up a double that hit off the Gibson's BBQ sign under the scoreboard in left-centerfield to Iker Franco. Nestor Perez laid a bunt down to get pinch-runner Robinson Cancel to third, but Adams' throw to Prince Fielder sailed over his head and toward the tarp, scoring Cancel to make it 6-4........ Ground balls to Rickie Weeks moved Perez to second, then to third. John Novinsky had come in to get the second out on right-hander B.J. Upton and he was one out away from getting out of the inning, but Jose Velazquez pulled Novinsky's 2-0 pitch through the hole on the right side to score Perez and it was 7-4........ Novinsky had the next batter, Juan Salas 1-and-2, then uncorked a wild pitch which Salas swung at for strike three. The ball went to the backstop and Salas made first easily and Velazquez moved up........ Another wild pitch from Novinsky moved the runners to second and third, then came the BIG error....... Chris Martin hit a 2-2 grounder to Enrique Cruz. This is what high school and even Little League infielders are taught in Defense 101. GET IN FRONT OF THE BALL!........ Cruz tried to field the one-hop grounder with his glove down and thigh-high away from his body. He badly misjudged the bounce and the ball, without touching his glove, bounded into left field. Velazquez and Salas scored what proved to be the go-ahead and winning runs....... My thoughts instantly flashed back to J.J. Hardy, one of the most consistent and picture-book shortstops I'd ever seen play for the Stars. Boy, I miss him. The Stars struck back against Josh Parker, who pitched a clean 2/3 of an inning on Friday....... With one out, Brad Nelson cracked a home run deep to center field that hit the top of the wall just to the left of the 405 mark and bounced back on to the field. Another out later, Brandon Gemoll singled through the right side of the infield and minor league vet Alex Delgado, who manager Frank Kremblas later jokingly called "the strongest man on earth", lined a home run over the 2nd wall out in left field to make it 9-7......... The two-run error by Cruz was the last word........ Parker struck out Cruz with an 0-2 fastball to end the game. Montgomery took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning when B.J. Upton doubled in Joey Gathright, who moved from 1st to 3rd on a pickoff throw that Mike Jones threw away, similar almost to Novinsky's in the 9th......... In the 4th, Upton drove in two more on a bloop single over the head of Fielder. Prince tried to make a desparate over-the-shoulder catch in the grass, but it would have been tough even for Gemoll, who led Southern League 1st basemen in fielding last year. That made it 5-1, Montgomery, or as the locals say, Montgumry. Iker Franco was the 3rd player in this series to have a four-hit game....... Ryan Knox tied a club record by getting two sacrifice flies in this game, and now has three on the season after just four games...... He has a long way to get to the season record of 15 set by Jason Wood in 1994....... The last Huntsville Star to get two sac flies in one game was Chris Hart on April 25, 1994,and before him, Marteese Robinson on June 27, 1990...... Knox now has seven sac flies in his career with the Huntsville Stars, one away from making the top 20 leaderboard. The Stars send Chris Saenz to the hill Monday to start a three-game series against Carolina. Former Tennessee Smokie pitcher, Peter Bauer will start for the Mudcats who have started the season 2-2, after losing to Mobile in a double-header, Saturday. Then Matt Ford faces Trevor Hutchinson, MVP of the Southern League Championship Series last year, on Tuesday. Both starters are 1-0. Derek Lee, in his first start for his new team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, lost 4-1 to New Britain. Derek gave up 2 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings and struck out 2. He did not walk anyone. Lack of run support follows him to The Granite State......Jim Rushford went 3-for-4 and drove in 3 runs to help Scranton beat Ottawa, 9-6, in International League play. Lou Colllier homered for Scranton, the Phillies top farm club.

April, August, you got me, there. Got the first letter right...http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

I rain on parades. I wear a pancho http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif The Cardinals lost of three of four to the Brewers in St. Louis while scoring 25 runs. The Cardinals swept three games from Arizona on the road, scoring 29 runs. Ipso facto, whatever.

To spare my sanity on workday mornings (and to spare my job and peace in my household http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ), you'll often see the Link Report for the following day kicked off the night before, in many of these cases, the starting pitcher info will be edited in by mid-morning. Here's your Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: TBD at Richmond (Braves), 6:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ IMPORTANT TIP: For me, the audio link off of the Indy newstalk1430 page wouldn't work until I had turned off my pop-up blocker for that site -- keep that in mind... Backup audio link (Richmond feed): oursportscentral.com/services/netcasts/ HUNTSVILE: RHP Chris Saenz at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 7:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP Nick Neugebauer (for one inning, followed by RHP Glenn Woolard) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Angels), 9:05 PM, in the Mavs' home opener -- fireworks! Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: LHP Greg Kloosterman at home vs. Peoria (Cardinals), 6:30 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pchiefs

Small sample fans, let's focus on the positive 4.3 % into the season: Brewers are 2nd in the NL in OPS, .872 (STL - .989) Brewers are 2nd in the NL in SLG, .502 (STL - .621) Brewers are 3rd in the NL in OBP, .370 (behind HOU, SD) Plenty of other things to dwell on the other way, but we'll take a 4-3 record at this point, huh?

Does anybody have additional information about Jorge de la Rosa's outing today? Reviewing the Indy game log, there is no logical reason for him to be removed at 3.1 IP, unless he was on an extremely tight pitch count. If that was the case, why send him out to begin the 4th? Also, Matt Parker was initially scheduled to start Monday's game, and he was the pitcher brought in to replace de la Rosa. Just hoping the young lefty is OK... It appears that, at least for now, both the Indy and High Desert sites have chosen to forego the post-game online summary, normally written by a member of the announcing staff. These would usually provide answers to questions like mine here. Hopefully Tribe and Maverick management will reconsider http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif . (And thanks to Huntsville's staff -- Robert Portnoy, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong -- for continuing the practice of the post-game summary.) By the way, if Sports Network produces game logs when the Arizona League kicks in (usual attendance - 20), let's just say I will be duly impressed!