battlekow

Final: Tampa 8, Brevard County 3 Brevard County box score Though BC got a decent start from Cody Scarpetta, who gave up two runs in 5.1 innings on five hits and three walks while striking out seven, the bullpen, abetted by two fielding errors, allowed a six-spot in the 7th inning to give the Yankees (what do they call them, the T-Yanks?) the victory. Dan Meadows and Corey Frerichs each allowed three runs. Erik Komatsu, maintaining his hot start, went 3-4, while Shawn Zarraga may finally be unlocking his prodigious power potential, doubling twice today. Josh Prince also doubled, and singled as well, and Brock Kjeldgaard also had two hits. Kentrail Davis continues to dominate FSL when healthy, on base twice with a hit and a walk today. Brevard County play-by-play BC rallied to take a one-run lead in the 6th, only to have the bullpen give it, and much more, right back: Brevard County Bottom 6th Erik Komatsu singles on a ground ball to right fielder Francisco Santana. Kentrail Davis singles on a fly ball to left fielder Neil Medchill. Erik Komatsu to 3rd. Sergio Miranda out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Neil Medchill. Erik Komatsu scores. Kentrail Davis to 2nd. Brock Kjeldgaard singles on a line drive to left fielder Neil Medchill. Kentrail Davis to 3rd. Shawn Zarraga doubles (4) on a fly ball to left fielder Neil Medchill. Kentrail Davis scores. Brock Kjeldgaard to 3rd. Anderson De La Rosa pops out to second baseman Corban Joseph. Juan Sanchez grounds out, shortstop Addison Maruszak to first baseman Trent Lockwood. Tampa Top 7th Francisco Santana singles on a fly ball to center fielder Kentrail Davis. Jack Rye reaches on fielding error by pitcher Daniel Meadows. Francisco Santana to 2nd. Corban Joseph grounds into a force out, second baseman Sergio Miranda to shortstop Josh Prince. Francisco Santana to 3rd. Jack Rye out at 2nd. Corban Joseph to 1st. Bradley Suttle reaches on force attempt, throwing error by shortstop Josh Prince. Francisco Santana scores. Corban Joseph advances to 3rd, on throwing error by second baseman Sergio Miranda. Pitcher Change: Corey Frerichs replaces Daniel Meadows. Melky Mesa walks. Bradley Suttle to 2nd. Neil Medchill walks. Corban Joseph scores. Bradley Suttle to 3rd. Melky Mesa to 2nd. Addison Maruszak out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Erik Komatsu. Bradley Suttle scores. Melky Mesa to 3rd. Trent Lockwood doubles (4) on a fly ball to right fielder Juan Sanchez. Melky Mesa scores. Neil Medchill scores. Mitch Abeita doubles (5) on a fly ball to center fielder Kentrail Davis. Trent Lockwood scores. Pitcher Change: Lucas Luetge replaces Corey Frerichs. Francisco Santana grounds out, first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard to pitcher Lucas Luetge.

Final: West Tenn 4, Huntsville 1 Huntsville box score Mark Rogers did not start as expected; Aaron Morse reports that they didn't find out he wasn't pitching until just before the game, so it would appear this wasn't a planned push-back. Donovan Hand, fresh off the DL, filled in and pitched pretty well, but the Stars' bats couldn't get on track. Caleb Gindl was 1-3 with a walk, while went Brett Lawrie went 0-4. Taylor Green had the day off. As I pointed out above, it appears that Lee Haydel is the latest Brewers farmhand to suffer an injury. Brandon Kintzler kept his ERA spotless with a perfect 9th with one strikeout. Huntsville play-by-play

Scooting along Tom Haudricourt/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Fans of the Brewers' Class A Wisconsin affiliate have been having fun watching shortstop Scooter Gennett. Entering Saturday, Gennett was batting .358 through 26 games with 12 doubles, 17 RBI and a .434 on-base percentage. Not bad for a 16th round draft pick in '09 who was playing for Sarasota (Fla.) High School at this time a year ago. All of 5-9 and 160 pounds, Gennett was slated to play rookie ball this season but performed so well in spring camp he was assigned to the Timber Rattlers. "I was fortunate they gave me an opportunity and believed I would swing the bat," said Gennett, who signed too late last summer to begin his pro career. "I feel comfortable. I'm trying to hit line drives. That's my job. I'm not going to be a big power hitter." Wisconsin manager Jeff Isom believes Gennett, who turned 20 on May 1, might profile as a second baseman down the road. But roving infield instructor Garth Iorg hopes he stays at short as long as possible. "He's playing shortstop; it's too early to tell if he'll stay there," said Iorg. "He's a young kid. I hate taking people away from shortstop because they're so hard to find. "He's got a big arm. He moves around the field OK. Scooter's a prospect. He's not a big guy but he can flat-out hit." Gennett, whose proper first name is Ryan, dropped down draft boards last June after struggling offensively while pressing to lift an inexperienced team. Accordingly, the Brewers might have gotten a real steal in the 16th round. "I signed too late to play last year so I was definitely ready to get on the field," said Gennett, who turned down a scholarship with Florida State to sign with the Brewers for an above-slot $260,000. "I hit the ball well in spring training and I guess I showed them enough to play here. It's been great. The fans in Appleton have been very supportive. I feel comfortable here."

Injury updates from Haudricourt:

Injury updates from Haudricourt:

Donovan Hand got the start for Huntsville instead of Mark Rogers. EDIT: Seems like it was Lee Haydel's number that came up this time in the Minor League Outfielder Injury Lottery: Huntsville Bottom 1st Brett Lawrie grounds out, third baseman Leury Bonilla to first baseman Johan Limonta. Lee Haydel singles on a ground ball to shortstop Carlos Triunfel. With Caleb Gindl batting, Lee Haydel steals (7) 2nd base. With Caleb Gindl batting, Mauricio Robles picks off Lee Haydel at 2nd on throw to Carlos Triunfel. Caleb Gindl walks. With Zelous Wheeler batting, Caleb Gindl caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Jose Yepez to second baseman Jeffrey Dominguez. West Tenn Top 2nd Defensive Substitution: Patrick Arlis replaces center fielder Lee Haydel, batting 2nd, playing first base. Defensive switch from right field to center field for Caleb Gindl. Defensive switch from first base to right field for Chris Errecart.

Timber Rattlers soak up big game atmosphere Andrew Wagner/OnMilwaukee.com On a tour of Miller Park Friday, members of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Brewers' Class A minor league affiliate, got a chance to see everything. They walked through the Brewers' spacious clubhouse, saw the weight room and training room, they checked out the batting cages ... all the creature comforts that are afforded to players able to advance from the cramped clubhouses and endless bus trips of minor league baseball into "the Show." "You can take a tour of our stadium - which is a nice park - and it will take you all of five minutes," Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said. "We come here and took 45 minutes and saw maybe a tenth of what is going on." But of all the amenities the Rattlers enjoyed, nothing - not even the post-game spread of delicious ribs - could compare to Miller Park's featured attraction ... the massive, convertible roof towering over the stadium. Weather in Milwaukee was downright awful on Friday, with cool temperatures and a steady rain throughout the day. On any other day in the Midwest League, the players would have been sitting in their spartan locker room, playing cards and wondering whether or not a game would be played. Not Friday. On Friday, the Timber Rattlers got a taste of big league baseball. "It's pretty cool," said right-handed pitcher Eric Arnett, the Brewers' first-round draft choice a year ago. "To come to the park and know that you're going to play today ... it's awesome." Arnett is one of the Brewers' most highly-touted prospects; a power pitcher out of Indiana University, one whom the Brewers hope will advance quickly through the organization and start helping the big league team in the next few seasons. He didn't pitch in Friday's game and hasn't gotten off to a good start this season, but admits that dressing and preparing for a game at Miller Park was a pretty big motivator - a general consensus in the clubhouse. "They're kind of throwing in our face, what we're all working for and what we want to accomplish," said infielder Cutter Dykstra, making his second Miller Park experience with the Timber Rattlers. "It kind of gives us extra motivation to do what we have to do to get here." Isom, who spent three years playing Class A ball in the Pirates and Padres organizations, agreed, but also knows that in the long run, only a few of his players will get to the majors. "They get to see how they will get treated once they get here," Isom said. " In the big picture, this is ultimately where they want to come and play and they get a chance to say 'wow, this is what it's all about.' "There will be a handful of players that do make it and someday will play at Miller Park and there are a few who won't. It's part of the business. For those guys, it's going to be a night they remember for the rest of their lives." Dykstra and Isom were both on their second trip to Miller Park, but nobody has better memories than hitting coach Matt Erickson. The Appleton native spent two seasons in the Brewers organization and was called to the big leagues midway through the 2004 season. His debut came on July 9, when he went hitless in a pinch-hit at-bat during a 3-0 loss to Cincinnati. He would get his first and only major league start on July 17. His only big league hit came that day, a single off future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux in a 5-0 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. During the team's tour of the Brewers' locker room, players asked Erickson which locker was his. He pointed to his old dressing area. "Casey McGehee's in it right now," Erickson said. "I'd like to let Casey know that he's in my locker." On the field, the game wasn't as memorable as the experience; the Rattlers dropped a 6-1 decision to Cedar Rapids, despite a solid outing from starting pitchers Damon Krestalude. But with the Saturday weather forecast calling for a chance of snow in Appleton, it was understandable that the team joked about playing two Friday.

This photo reminds me: despite him allowing three steals last night, I thought Garfield threw the ball to second pretty well; at least two of the plays were bang-bang. His throw to third, on the other hand...

Final: Cedar Rapids 5, Wisconsin 4 (10 innings) Victory slips away from Wisconsin Chris Mehring/Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers could not hold onto a lead against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Saturday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field. The Kernels edged Wisconsin 5-4 in ten innings. Mike Trout hit a solo homer in the top of the tenth inning for the eventual game-winning hit. But, so much more happened in the game. Wisconsin (9-20) scored three times in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead and they broke Kernels’ starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ scoreless streak at 19 innings in the process. Cutter Dykstra and Austin Stockfisch started the inning with singles and both moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Marseco. Carlos George singled to center and knocked in both runners. Later in the inning, George would score on an error. Rattlers starter Jake Odorizzi looked like he would make those three runs stand up for the game. He struck out seven and allowed two hits through the first five innings. But, Trout started a rally in the sixth inning with a leadoff bunt single. The Kernel centerfielder stole second and scored on a single by Jean Segura. Segura would steal second and go to third on a wild pitch. An RBI grounder by Eric Oliver scored Segura to make the score 3-2. Odorizzi’s line for the day was 5-2/3 innings, four hits, two runs, and eight strikeouts. The eight strikeouts matched a professional high for Odorizzi. Efrain Nieves came on in relief for the Rattlers in the sixth and got the final out. He also pitched a scoreless seventh and a scoreless eighth. Nieves would get the first out of the ninth, but could not get the final two outs before the Kernels took the lead. Randal Grichuk singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Casey Haerther sent a high fly ball to deep center field on a 3-2 pitch and it looked like it would be the second out of the inning. However, as D’Vontrey Richardson set his feet to catch the ball he lost his footing and slipped to the ground. Grichuck scored the tying run and Haerther was standing on second with a double. Kevin Ramos, who committed the error in the second inning to allow George to score, delivered a two-out RBI single to score pinch runner Justin Bass and give the Kernels (16-14) a 4-3 lead. Wisconsin did not go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Marseco looped in a single to left with one out and wound up at third on the play due to a throwing error by Bass. Marseco scored the tying run when he beat the tag with a great slide on a play at the plate after George sent a grounder to third on the next pitch. Trout quickly untied the game in the top of the tenth. He lined a 2-1 pitch from reliever Jon Pokorny over the wall in left for his third homer of the season. Tyler Kehrer, who came on in relief for the Kernels in the sixth inning, walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the tenth. But, the Rattlers could not cash in the run. Wisconsin falls to 1-8 in one run games this season. Saturday marks the fourth time since May 3 that the Rattlers lost a game by a single run. In all four of those one run losses, Wisconsin had at least a 3-0 lead. The Timber Rattlers and Kernels wrap up their series on busy Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field. Wisconsin players will be wearing pink jerseys that will be auctioned off during the game to raise money for local cancer initiatives as part of a Mother’s Day celebration. Fans may play catch on the field before the game and participate in a post-game autograph session with the players. Additionally, Time Warner Cable subscribers may bring in their bill and receive up to four half priced reserve seat tickets. Eric Arnett (0-2, 9.47) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Garrett Richards (1-1, 4.63) is slated to start for the Kernels. Game time is 1:05pm. If you can’t make it to the ballpark, you can tune in for the action on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 12:45pm. Wisconsin box scoreNo shame in getting beat by Trout, who's quickly becoming one of the best prospects in the game, but the continued defensive lapses and the skein of close losses certainly are frustrating. Odorizzi's sterling performance is a bright spot, as is Scooter Gennett's line of a triple and three walks, boosting his triple slash line to .361/.461/.536, a phenomenal start to his pro career. Richardson and Dykstra each had a hit and a walk. Chris Dennis drew a walk and Khris Davis was 1-5. I'm a little disappointed that Dykstra was DHing again today; I think that makes four out of five games there for him now, with only one at second base. I like Carlos George and all, but if I'm calling the shots, Dykstra/Gennett is the keystone combination. Wisconsin play-by-play All of Odorizzi's strikeouts were swinging, which is especially encouraging.

On the stadium gun, I think Krestalude was around 88 early and dipped to 84-86 by his last inning.

Zach Braddock question from this week's Hot Sheet chat: [tt][/tt] "Okefenokee Swamp filthy"--I like that. Maybe we can nickname him "Swamp Thing". Jeremy Jeffress also got a mention, showing just what kind of an impression his pure stuff makes: [tt][/tt]

Final: Huntsville 6, West Tenn 5 Stars walk off with win Aaron Morse/Huntsville Stars Martin Maldonado singled home the game-winner and the Huntsville Stars (16-13) scored four in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx by a final score of 6-5 Friday night. The Stars struck first in the game as they got two unearned runs off Diamond Jaxx starter Steve Bray in the bottom of the second. An error allowed Taylor Green to reach to lead things off. After Chris Errecart singled the runners were bunted over 90 feet by Andy Machado. Brent Brewer, who has been quite effective when he makes contact, singled home Green but Errecart was thrown out by left fielder Carlos Peguero in jarring collision at the plate. Brewer went to second on the throw and was singled home by Maldonado. But after that the Stars' bats went silent. They went down 1-2-3 in every inning except the 5th (when Maldonado drew a walk) from that inning on...until the fateful 9th. Meanwhile the Diamond Jaxx were doing what they do best: hit the long ball. In the top of the third Carlos Triunfel homered to left off Stars starter Alex Periard. That was followed by a Carlos Peguero double. One out later Johan Limonta drew a walk. With two away, Alex Liddi showed why he's the Diamond Jaxx's RBI leader with a ringing double to score Peguero. After a visit to the mound from pitching coach John Curtis, Periard was able to get Dustin Ackley to roll a pitch over. The only problem was that it found a space in the infield on the right side where Machado had to dive to stop the ball. Ackley was safe at first with an infield single and Limonta scored. Before you could say "here we go again" the Diamond Jaxx had a 3-2 lead. They'd tack on one more in the fourth thanks to a Peguero bomb into the trees and one more in the sixth when Luis Oliveros hit one to the next county. Periard went 6 innings, gave up 8 hits, 5 runs, all earned, walked 2 and struck out 3. Mike Jones (1-1) entered in the seventh inning and pitched three frames of shut-out ball. The Diamond Jaxx, nursing a 5-2 lead brought former first round pick Josh Fields in to get the save in the 9th inning. But things didn't go exactly as planned. Lee Haydel drew a lead-off walk and promptly stole second base. One out later Zelous Wheeler hit a shot down the third base line that landed barely fair for a double to drive in Haydel. That prompted a protest from Diamond Jaxx manager Tim Laker, who thought the ball had landed foul. More to come about that in a second. Taylor Green busted out of his recent slump with a ringing double down the right field line to score Wheeler. Then things got wacky. Chris Errecart hit a line drive down the first base line that appeared to land foul. He actually paused and turned around to go back to the plate, but saw the home plate umpire Chris Segal point "fair", and so he took off running. Meanwhile, everyone on the Diamond Jaxx had stopped pursuing the ball because they assumed it was foul. By the time they realized it'd actually been called fair Errecart was standing on third base with a RBI triple. Laker promptly got ejected from the game as he was absolutely incensed with the call. Just like that the game was tied at 5. Two intentional walks later, the bases were loaded with only one down and Maldonado lined his shot to right off reliever Anthony Varvaro to win the game. "I was looking for a fastball, because that guy throws hard, 91-97," Maldonado said. "So I was looking for something to drive." It was the second walk-off hit of Maldonado's professional career. He had one last year in Brevard County. Jones got the win in relief while Fields picked up the loss. With the Smokies losing today, the Stars are now three games back in the Northern Division. The Stars are back in action Saturday evening with a 6:00pm Central Time first pitch on WTKI and http://www.huntsvillestars.com. Tune in at 5:45 for the Window World Pre-Game report. Mark Rogers (1-2, 4.95) is on the mound for the Stars. Huntsville box score Now why couldn't this have been the game I saw at Miller Park tonight? Periard induced seven ground outs against six air outs. Brett Lawrie got back to his 1-4 ways, though the 1 was a double. Caleb Gindl was 0-4. I'm really enjoying Haydel's newfound patience, and I think it's going to earn him a spot on my next P50 ballot. Huntsville play-by-play

Brett Lawrie is #12 this week:

I wouldn't fault Macha for not knowing the injury status of non-MLB players. Witrado, on the other hand, should be expected to include a note indicating either that Cain is injured or that he recently was so but is now healthy.

Steffan Wilson to the DL for Huntsville; no word yet on who will fill his spot.

Tough to tell whether this means Cain is almost healed or it's just Witrado omitting relevant details:

I'd be disappointed if they didn't beat up on Brackman. Everyone else has in his pro career.

Final: West Tenn 5, Huntsville 2 Huntsville box score Obviously the performance that jumps out at you is Brett Lawrie's 4-4, two-double, one-walk, one-steal line. He seems to have one of these games once a week or so; in the past, he's failed to sustain the success and build a legitimate hot streak, but of course it's still very early and he's doing quite well considering he's one of the youngest players in AA. The rest of the Stars barely matched Lawrie's hit total, only mustering five, two of them by Martin Maldonado, who also walked and picked a runner off first. Lee Haydel was 0-3 but with another walk and a sac fly. Caleb Gindl rang up an 0-5, three-strikeout night to forget, and Taylor Green was 0-4. Starter Amaury Rivas turned in a disappointing performance, allowing five runs in 4.1 innings on 10 hits and four walks while striking out none while also reverting back to his more typical fly-ball ways after a couple of worm-burning outings. Even with all those hits today, Rivas has still only allowed 25 in 31.4 innings, but he's sporting a pretty uninspiring 21/16 K/BB. Brandon Kintzler continued his mini-(and righty-)Braddock impression by striking out one in 1.1 perfect innings to preserve his 0.00 ERA. Huntsville play-by-play Remarkably, Huntsville put a runner on second with no outs in four of the first five innings and couldn't score in any of them.

Brackman certainly has a prospect's pedigree, but at this point I don't think he's much of an actual prospect.

You also caught him on what was probably his worst outing so far. Check out his game log. I have a feeling that he's not struggling to put away hitters most of the time.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers starter Eric Arnett does well in rain-shortened outing against Quad Cities River Bandits Brett Christopherson/Appleton Post-Crescent GRAND CHUTE — The gloomy clouds that hovered over Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitcher Eric Arnett through his previous four outings finally cleared on Tuesday. Then came the rain. "That's kind of just bad luck to finally get a good start, get back on track and the rain cuts us short," the right-hander said after storms suspended the Rattlers' Midwest League game against Quad Cities at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. "But it was good to get out there, at least, and just get back on track to where I was in the past and just keep that rolling here on out." The 22-year-old, rated as one of the top prospects in the Milwaukee Brewers minor-league system, was in the midst of his best outing of the season when Mother Nature intervened. He struck out three, walked none, allowed only a second-inning single and needed just 30 pitches in facing the minimum through three innings. Arnett had been knocked around in his past four starts and entered Tuesday's game, which will resume today at 11 a.m., looking to deflate an 11.25 ERA and having surrendered four homers and 23 hits through 16 innings. So what spurred the turnaround? Conversations with folks like Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook, Arnett's agent and even the scout who signed him, all passing along the same message. "They said you've just got to go out with that mentality, just that fire-in-your-eye mentality, that you're-better-than-everyone mentality," said Arnett, the Brewers' 2009 first-round draft pick. Arnett admitted to trying to be "too perfect" with his pitches. He attacked the River Bandits by commanding a low-90s fastball with a biting slider and an effective changeup that helped him get ahead of hitters and establish a quick pace. "When he gets ahead with his fastball and he continues to pound it, he's going to have success," Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said. "We also saw a few changeups and sliders that were above average, and that's obviously what Milwaukee saw when they drafted him No. 1. … He's a great arm."

Tough as nails: Brewers prospect Dykstra persevering Tom Haudricourt/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Grand Chute — It often is said that the true measure of a man is how he reacts to adversity. Cutter Dykstra is being measured in every way possible. And then some. "My toughness was challenged a little bit," conceded Dykstra, now playing second base for the Milwaukee Brewers' Class A Wisconsin affiliate. "People have told me a weaker person would have collapsed." Imagine being 19 years old - the age at which Dykstra played half of the 2009 season - and having your personal and professional problems play out in the public eye. When selected in the second round of the 2008 June draft out of Westlake (Calif.) High School, Dykstra seemed to have the world by the tail. At that juncture, being the son of former big-leaguer Lenny Dykstra was considered a good thing. That perception quickly changed with revelations that the elder Dykstra made an absolute mess of his finances and marriage. The active manager of a healthy stock portfolio and owner of several successful businesses a few years ago, Lenny Dykstra became too ambitious. His $17.5 million purchase of hockey great Wayne Gretzky's mansion in Thousand Oaks, Calif., turned into a boondoggle that drained the family's cash reserves. Dykstra eventually sued financial institutions for providing loans that he claims they knew he couldn't afford. Around the same time, Dykstra sank money into a venture involving a high-end jet charter company and the accompanying financial magazine, Players Club, catering to professional athletes. That business quickly went belly up, and one month after his son was drafted by the Brewers, Dykstra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Beyond losing his home and considerable savings, Dykstra also lost his wife, Terri, who filed for divorce. The hits kept coming when his name surfaced in baseball's infamous Mitchell Report, cited among a host of alleged users of performance-enhancing drugs while in the major leagues. Dykstra's travails were the subject of a segment last summer on HBO's "Real Sports." Correspondent Bernard Goldberg visited Dykstra at his since foreclosed mansion, which was almost devoid of furniture. The former all-star known as "Nails" appeared completely delusional about his financial standing. At one point, Dykstra pulled out a wad of $100 bills to prove to Goldberg that he wasn't penniless. Understandably, Cutter Dykstra couldn't bring himself to watch that eye-opening exposé. "I heard about it, but I couldn't watch it," Cutter said. "My dad is going through some tough times, but if you ask him, he's doing fine. He's a battler. "He's an awesome person, especially for me. If there's anybody I want to talk to about the game, it's him. He was one of the smartest players in baseball. "I still talk to my mom and dad every day. They're both there for me. They're apart now. It was some tough times, but that's part of life." As if the family turmoil weren't enough, Cutter watched his budding professional career get turned upside down. The picture seemed rosy in 2008 when he batted .271 with five homers and 17 RBI in 38 games with the Brewers' rookie club in Helena, earning notice as the No.?2 prospect in the Pioneer League. The 2009 season was a different story. Promoted to Wisconsin in the low Class A Midwest League, Dykstra struggled mightily, batting .212 in 29 games with 27 strikeouts in 99 at-bats. Worse yet, it became evident that Dykstra was a duck out of water in center field. A shortstop in high school until moving to center as a senior, Dykstra was pegged by the Brewers as a sparkplug at that position, much as his father was during his playing days. The decision was made to move Dykstra to second base, so the Brewers rebooted and sent him back to Helena to learn that position and regain confidence at the plate. In 61 games there, he batted .244 with five homers and 26 RBI. "When they drafted me, they wanted to try me out in center field," said the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Dykstra, who, unlike his father, is a right-handed hitter. "I think I could have played there and got better at it. But I think going to second base is best for me. "It was tough last year. I made a midseason change and worked at it. I busted my butt the whole off-season working at it, and I came to spring training and showed them I could do it. "It's night and day from last year. I'm full of confidence at second base. I want the ball hit to me. I want to make plays and show them I can play there every day. I think I can play in the big leagues as a second baseman." The odds are not in Dykstra's favor, however, at least not with the Brewers. Beyond being committed to Rickie Weeks at the big-league level, the Brewers like Class AAA Nashville second baseman Eric Farris and have one of their top prospects, Brett Lawrie, playing that position at Class AA Huntsville. But there's no reason to look that far down the road at this point. In essence, Dykstra fell off the organizational map last year and needs to re-establish his status as a prospect. Kept in extended spring training to continue working at second base, Dykstra probably was ticketed for more time in rookie ball until an injury opened a spot on the roster of the Timber Rattlers, who will play Friday night against Cedar Rapids at Miller Park. "I'm not sure what the plan was," Dykstra said. "They wanted me to get the work in. Now I'm ready to play a full season and play every day. I feel great now. "I look at myself as a blue-collar-type player. It doesn't matter where they send me. I'm going to be a winning player. I look at baseball as the entertainment business. I like to put on a show for fans. I want them to pay to come watch how I play. "I'll do whatever I can to help the team win. I'll fight, I'll scratch, do whatever. Last year was a tough year. After the last game of the season, I said to myself, 'I don't want another year like that again. I'm going to set my mind every day of the off-season to be a player and show them I can hit, that I can be an all-star player.'?" Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid, who knows the Dykstra family well after being formerly based in California, understands the personal hell that Cutter has endured. But Seid watched the young man refuse to crack under pressure and still has hope that he'll fulfill his potential. "He has had some adversity, and it has been public adversity," Seid said. "We know the family. It's a good family. It's unfortunate what happened. Lenny has always been a nice guy to us. He's a tremendously smart individual. I'm betting on Lenny Dykstra when all is said and done. "Cutter knows what he has to do to get back on track and be successful. Now it's up to him to do it. I believe he's going to give it the best effort he can. You can see in his eyes he still has the passion and desire to make it. I haven't given up on him one bit." Most important, Dykstra hasn't given up on himself. Considering the turmoil he has lived through at such a young age, it would have been easy to become negative and develop a sour outlook on life in general. Instead, everyone who knows Dykstra says he remains a great kid. "He has had a lot of different things thrown at him in terms of challenges," said Corey Rodriguez, the Brewers' West Coast scouting cross-checker who signed Dykstra and speaks with him frequently via telephone. "He has a lot of determination. I think his focus is sharper now. He knows he's got work to do to re-establish himself as a prospect. He's not a pouter. He's a positive kid. "He has all the makings of a fighter who can work out of this. But it's going to take time. He'll give himself the best chance to get back. I wouldn't count him out. Everybody who knows him is rooting for him." Lenny Dykstra was a fighter, a scrapper who did whatever it took on the field to succeed. By all appearances, his son has those same qualities. If those baseball genes rub off in a good way, Cutter said he will be thankful to have Lenny Dykstra as a father, not ashamed. "People ask me if I feel nervous with the name 'Dykstra' on the back of my uniform," Cutter said. "I say, 'No.' I say I'm here to show I can be a player. "Whatever happens off the field, I'll have to deal with it. I'm here to make it to the big leagues, make a career out of it. I play the game right, like my dad did. "I'm a grinder, just like my dad was.?.?.?.? "I've been tested, but it's a new year. I'm swinging the bat as good as I can swing it. I'm playing awesome at second base. I'm here to play baseball. My spirit is not broken." http://media.jsonline.com/images/rattlers25-mjs-rattlers25_-spt_-lynn_-1.jpg

Final: Nashville 3, Round Rock 1 Sounds Avoid Sweep, Win 3-1 Nashville Sounds ROUND ROCK, Tex. - The Nashville Sounds avoided a four-game sweep by beating the Round Rock Express, 3-1, on Thursday evening at The Dell Diamond in the finale of a four-game series. Sounds starter Kameron Loe (4-1) earned the win, allowing one hit with four strikeouts and three walks over six scoreless innings. Continuing his dominance, Loe has now shutout the opposition in the last 21.0 inning pitched over his last three starts. Sounds closer Chris Smith threw 1 1/3 shutout innings to pick up his PCL-leading 11th save of the season. Outfielder Adam Stern put the Sounds on the board in the opening frame with his first homer of the season, a solo shot to right field for a 1-0 Nashville lead. Sounds catcher Jonathan Lucroy added to the Nashville lead by smacking his first Triple-A home run to center field, another solo shot that extended the Sounds' lead to 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning. Later in the frame, Erick Almonte hit a RBI base-knock to center that scored Luis Cruz for a 3-0 Sounds lead. For the Express' only run, Drew Meyer tripled home Andrew Locke in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Mitch Stetter. Express starter Roy Corcoran (0-5) took the loss, allowing one run while striking out two over five innings pitched. The Sounds travel to Albuquerque to open a four-game set with the Isotopes, with the first game on Friday evening at 8:05 pm CT at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. Sounds southpaw Chris Waters (2-0, 4.03) takes the hill vs. Albuquerque righty Josh Towers (2-2, 3.00). Nashville box scoreNot much going on beyond what's mentioned above. Congratulations to Mr. Lucroy, of course. Drew Anderson was 1-2 with a walk in his first start since rejoining the organization. Smith struck out three of the five batters he faced. Nashville play-by-play Anderson was thrown out at third on Almonte's RBI single in the 7th. Earlier that inning, Johnny Raburn was called out on batter's interference on a bunt attempt.

Final: Brevard County 12, Tampa 3 Brevard County box score Wily Peralta pitched six strong innings before faltering a bit in the 7th, finishing with a line of 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, and 13 ground outs against only three air outs. Evan Frederickson relieved and, per usual, walked three batters in an inning, albeit a scoreless one. But the real story tonight was the offense; perhaps bolstered by the return of Kentrail Davis, the Manatees' bats went off for 15 hits and 18 baserunners. Davis led the charge with a double and a triple and four RBI, and Matt Cline, Erik Komatsu, Sergio Miranda, and Shawn Zarraga all had two hits, with Komatsu and Zarraga also drawing a walk, and Josh Prince led them all with three base knocks, a season-high for him. Brevard County play-by-play Here's Frederickson's portion of the 7th; notice how his lack of control actually helped him, as a would-be wild pitch turned into the final out of the inning: Tampa Top 7th Pitcher Change: Evan Frederickson replaces Wily Peralta. Jack Rye singles on a ground ball to first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard. Trent Lockwood scores. Addison Maruszak to 3rd. With Corban Joseph batting, wild pitch by Evan Frederickson, Jack Rye to 2nd. Corban Joseph walks. Addison Maruszak out at home, catcher Anderson De La Rosa to pitcher Evan Frederickson.

Final: Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 3 Rattlers have the one-run blues Chris Mehring/Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-3 Thursday night at Time Warner Cable Field. The Bandits scored four times in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 3-0 Rattlers lead. Jorge Rondon and Michael Blazek combined to strike out 12 and they held the Timber Rattlers hitters in check after the second inning. Wisconsin is now 1-7 in eight games decided by one run this season. Wisconsin (9-18) started the offense right away. D’Vontrey Richardson doubled to start the bottom of the first. Scooter Gennett followed with an RBI double. Two outs later, Cameron Garfield singled to knock in Gennett. Chris Dennis capped the inning with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Rattlers starting pitcher Del Howell kept the River Bandits (17-11) off the scoreboard through five innings. But, he ran into trouble in the sixth. Ryan Jackson started the inning with a single. Jason Stidham was next and he hit an opposite field home run to left to make the score 3-2. Howell retired Matt Adams on a grounder before turning the game over to the bullpen. Hiram Burgos entered the game, walked Niko Vasquez and gave up a double to Ryde Rodriguez that put runners on second and third. Burgos uncorked a wild pitch that let Vasquez score the tying run. Edgar Lara singled to score Rodriguez with the go-ahead run. Rondon, the starter for Quad Cities, settled down after the rough start. After the first inning, would give up a two out single in the second, and a one out walk in the third. Rondon retired the final eight batters he faced. That string of consecutive Wisconsin hitters retired reached 14 when Blazek retired the first six batters he faced. The Rattlers ended the string when Franklin Romero, Jr. reached first on a dropped third strike to start the eighth inning. A passed ball got Romero to second with no outs. But, Blazek retired the side in the eighth without allowing Romero to move past second base. Blazek, who struck out seven in his four no-hit innings, would retire the side in order in the bottom of the ninth for the save. The Rattlers have lost three games this week and all three of them have been by a single run. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are in action Friday. They host the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Tickets are available for just $10 at the Miller Park box office. Damon Krestalude (1-0, 3.75) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. If you can’t make it to the game, tune in to AM1280 WNAM. The Miller Lite Pregame Show starts the broadcast at 6:45pm. Game time is 7:05pm. Wisconsin box scoreRichardson finished 2-4, the only Rattler to reach base more than once. Great to see Howell have a solid start, even with the 6th-inning damage; his final line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Nick Bucci pitched very well covering the last three innings, striking out two and allowing just a single.http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t572&gid=2010_05_06_qcsafx_wisafx_1&cid=420&t=g_box Wisconsin play-by-play