battlekow

MLB.com's Jordan Schelling reports that Gerut will begin a rehab assignment with the rookie-league Arizona Brewers tonight.

MLB.com's Jordan Schelling reports that Jody Gerut will begin a rehab assignment with the AZL Brewers tonight.

Chris Cody is now listed as the starter in the box score. Fiers must have been a late scratch.

"Gamel, he's swinging the bat very well. Questionable defensively, some plays out there, I just haven't seen the improvement that I like to see from at least two years ago. He's started to swing the bat better, but defensively, you gotta catch and throw it, too...You can tell, you can show, you can teach, but at some point the player himself has to take the bull by the horns and let's go about our business. If you have a problem throwing, which he has a problem throwing, he gets out on the side and flat and throw a lot of balls, say, to first base it'll be on the home plate side of first. Last night he threw a ball to second, he threw it on the first-base side of second, so everything he's throwing is going to, if you're looking at the base he's throwing to, to the right. So: make an adjustment. That's the difficult part. You're seeing guys not making the adjustment after, not a week or two, but two or three years. I've had him since '08, and it's just, you gotta make improvements at some point, 'cause in the big leagues, it's very difficult, unless you're hitting .350, to put you out there and make your errors and other plays that you don't make."

Great info, thanks.

Southern League Notebook: Suns, Stars managers exchange words before game Jeff Elliott/Florida Times-Union Huntsville Stars manager Mike Guerrero said he has control of his team, that Jacksonville skipper Tim Leiper should worry about his own team and that he doesn't really care what Leiper says or thinks about the way he handles his club. That was Guerrero's response to Leiper's comments on Friday night when Leiper questioned whether the Stars manager had control of his team. In the first two games of the series, five players have been hit by a pitch. In Thursday's game, the dugouts emptied and words were exchanged when Suns relief pitcher Dan Jennings threw behind Huntsville batter Michael Bowman. Jennings was ejected and a day later was fined and suspended for three games. "I know I have control of my team," Leiper said. "You've got to control your team, you've got to manage your players. And when you're irresponsible and you don't pay attention to the small stuff and you act like nothing's going on, then I think it's completely irresponsible. "Some of the things they [stars] do, it just makes me shake my head. I just don't think he [Guerrero] has control of his team. Irresponsible play puts all your teammates in bad positions and that's where they're at." Guerrero, in his 16th season as a coach in he Milwaukee Brewers farm system and first as manager of the Stars, shrugged off Leiper's comments when asked prior to Saturday's game. The comments stemmed from Thursday night's game when Bowman hit Suns catcher John Otness with a pitch. The previous time Bowman faced the Suns, on June 27, he hit two batters. "Leiper was after my pitcher, Bowman. He made comments [about him] that first night," Guerrero said. "Whatever he thinks, I don't mind. He needs to take care of his club. I don't really care what he thinks and I don't care how he runs his team." The feud between the two managers carried over to Saturday night's game when the two brought their lineup cards to the umpires. They did not shake hands and crew chief umpire Tripp Gibson had to step between the two managers when the exchange became heated. http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2010/07/25/682582574.jpg Suns' manager Tim Leiper (left) and Huntsville manager Mike Guerrero exchange words as officials keep the two apart prior to the start of Saturday's game. (Bob Self/Florida Times-Union)

Brewers drop close one to Ogden Helena Independent Record OGDEN, Utah — Jesse Bosnik’s RBI single to center field Saturday in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the dagger, as the Ogden Raptors beat the Helena Brewers for the sixth time this season. Bosnik’s grounder scored Nick Akins to break a 2-2 tie in front of a season-best crowd of 6,024 at Lindquist Field, giving the Raptors the 3-2 victory. Helena was led at the plate by third baseman Mike Walker, who was 2 for 3 Saturday and finished with eight hits in the four-game series. Walker reached in the seventh on a base hit, giving the Brewers their first base runner since the third inning. But Helena catcher Tony Pechek would hit into a 3-6-3 double play to end the tying threat. Ogden closer Shawn Tolleson, the Pioneer League leader in saves, picked up his eighth save of the season by shutting down the Brewers in the ninth, including setting down Greg Hopkins and Shea Vucinich both down on strikes. Cody Hawn, who was 2 for 4 in the contest, led off the inning with a flyout to center fielder Leon Landry. Brent Montgomery earned the win for Ogden (20-13), throwing three innings of one-hit ball. He struck out three Brewers after relieving Garrett Gould, who gave up six hits over the first five frames. Evan Frederickson struggled on the mound for Helena. The Brewers starter threw four wild pitches through four innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He also walked three batters. None of the usually hot-hitting Raptors had multiple hits, and Landry had the only extra-base hit for the home team, a triple off Frederickson. Pechek had his second home run in as many days when he hit a two-out solo shot off Gould in the second inning. Helena (16-17) now heads to Orem to take on the defending league champion Owlz in a three-game set.

Grafton edges Nicolet to gain state summer tourney berth Special to the Journal Sentinel Grafton had just two hits Saturday, but with Conor Fisk on the mound, that was plenty. The Black Hawks defeated Nicolet, 1-0, in the final of the Cedarburg Sectional to qualify for the WIAA state summer baseball tournament for the first time since 1983 and second time overall. Fisk, a Milwaukee Brewers draft pick who signed to play at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill., allowed three hits and struck out nine. C.J. Koehler drove in Robbie Doring in the fourth inning for the game's only run.

Final (game two): DSL Mariners 7, @DSL Brewers 6 (7 innings)DSL Brewers box score The Brewers let this one slip away, giving up single runs in the 5th and 6th innings to waste a big four-run 4th. Rolando Pascual let in all but one of the runs, walking five and hitting two batters in 4.1 innings, though Juan Francisco got hung with the loss. Ruben Sanchez was 1-2 with two walks, and Raul Mondesi was 2-3 with a walk. Jose Pena entered late as a defensive replacement but didn't bat. The Brewers were picked off twice, caught stealing once, and committed three errors. DSL Brewers play-by-play The Mariners were caught stealing home twice to end innings. Don't see that every day (well, you actually might in the DSL). Sanchez grounded out to end the 6th and then was replaced by Pena. I guess we'll see (unless it starts raining again) if he injured himself. The Brewers had a chance in the 7th to tie, putting a runner on second with no outs and 4-5-6 coming up, but could do nothing: DSL Brewers Bottom 7th Raul MondesiJr. singles on a ground ball to center fielder Randy Perez. With Juan De Leon batting, wild pitch by Yunior De Jesus, Raul MondesiJr. to 2nd. Juan De Leon pops out to second baseman George Soto. Hitaniel Arias flies out to right fielder Janelfry Zorrilla. Jose R. Garcia strikes out swinging.

Final (game one): DSL Brewers 4, @DSL Mariners 0 (7 innings)DSL Brewers box score Just the second time the Brewers have been able to play since 7/15. I wonder what teenage ballplayers with a ton of free time on their hands do in Santo Domingo. My buddy Osmel Perez made his first start and went five shutout innings, striking out two, walking one, and allowing three hits. Manny Ruiz struck out the side in the 6th but walked the first two batters in the 7th before giving way to Rigoberto Almonte, who earned the save. Yonki Hernandez was 2-3 with a double and a walk, Ruben Sanchez was 2-3 with a HBP, and Hitaniel Arias was also 2-3. Jose Pena was 0-2 with a walk, and Carlos Pena was 0-3. DSL Brewers play-by-play The Brewers got all the runs they'd need right away: DSL Brewers Top 1st Yonki Hernandez walks. Ruben Sanchez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Janelfry Zorrilla. Yonki Hernandez to 3rd. Ronny Puello called out on strikes. Hitaniel Arias singles on a soft ground ball to third baseman Jordy Lara. Ruben Sanchez to 2nd. Jose Pena walks. Yonki Hernandez scores. Ruben Sanchez to 3rd. Hitaniel Arias to 2nd. Juan De Leon strikes out swinging. With Jose R. Garcia batting, wild pitch by Ambioris Hidalgo, Ruben Sanchez scores. Jose R. Garcia pops out to shortstop Noe Berro. Here's Almonte working out of the jam: DSL Mariners Bottom 7th Luis Matias walks. George Drullard walks. Luis Matias to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Rigoberto Almonte replaces Manuel Ruiz. Randy Perez pops out to shortstop Andres Martinez on the infield fly rule. George Soto called out on strikes. Jordy Lara lines out to shortstop Andres Martinez.

Final: Nashville 8, @Albuquerque 5Butler solid in first start, Sounds win 8-5 Nashville Sounds ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Right-hander Josh Butler turned in an outstanding effort in his first Triple-A start of the season and outfielder Adam Stern continued his red-hot hitting with a 3-for-4, three-RBI effort to lead the Nashville Sounds to an 8-5 victory on Saturday evening at Isotopes Park. Butler (1-0) held Albuquerque to two runs on five hits over 7 1/3 innings of work in his quality start victory. He walked two batters and struck out four in his fourth career Triple-A outing. Stern, whose three hits and three RBIs matched his season high, is batting .384 (33-for-86) over his last 27 contests for Nashville. Sounds second baseman Eric Farris went 2-for-4 with a triple and double in his first appearance for the club since late April. The infielder missed nearly three months while on the D.L. with a knee injury. The win was Nashville's third in a row against Albuquerque after the Sounds (54-46) had dropped their previous five meetings with the 'Topes. The Sounds jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead against Albuquerque starter Seth Etherton, getting some assistance from a former teammate in the process. Nashville loaded the bases with two outs when Lorenzo Cain and Mat Gamel singled and Luis Cruz was hit by a pitch. Left fielder Stern continued his red-hot hitting for the visitors when he followed with a two-run to right to plate Cain and Gamel. Isotopes right fielder Trent Oeltjen, who spent the first three months of the year in a Sounds uniform, then mishandled Farris' fly ball, allowing two more runs to reach the plate. The Sounds tacked on another run in the fifth when Norris Hopper (3-for-5) led off with a single and Gamel followed with an RBI double to left, although the Sounds' third baseman was thrown out attempting to reach third on the play. Nashville increased its advantage to 7-0 in the sixth, plating a pair of runs with hits by the first three batters of the frame. Stern singled and scored on Farris' RBI triple to center before catcher Martin Maldonado extended Nashville's longest hitting streak of the season to 12 games with a run-scoring single to right. Albuquerque finally broke through against Butler in the home half of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs to make it a 7-2 contest. Oeltjen led off with a single and raced around the bases to register the first Isotopes run on Ivan DeJesus, Jr.'s triple to center. The second run scored later in the frame on a Jay Gibbons sacrifice fly. Stern plated the final Nashville run of the night in the eight when his double to center off Albuquerque reliever Cory Wade plated Ray Olmedo, who had opened the inning with a single. The Isotopes plated two more runs in the bottom of the eight against the Sounds' bullpen. After loading the bases against Tim Dillard with a pair of singles sandwiched around a walk, John Lindsey hit an RBI comebacker to the hill to make it an 8-3 contest. Jamie Hoffmann followed with a sacrifice fly to center that was misplayed by Cain, but he recovered to throw out Hoffmann at second on the play, which reduced the Nashville lead to 8-4. After Dillard walked the next two batters to reload the bases, Mike McClendon was summoned from the bullpen and issued a four-pitch walk to Elian Herrera to force in Gibbons before striking out Oeltjen with the bags full to escape the frame with an 8-5 lead intact. Nashville closer Chris Smith retired the side in order on eight pitches in the bottom of the ninth to notch his league-leading 20th save of the year. Etherton (3-3) took the loss for Albuquerque after giving up seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits over his six innings of action. The teams continue the series with 7:05 p.m. CT contest on Sunday evening. Left-hander Chris Waters (5-7, 4.00) looks to rebound from his shortest start of the season when he takes the hill for the Sounds to face Albuquerque right-hander John Ely (3-1, 3.24). Nashville box score Nice first start for Butler. He posted a 6/8 GO/AO and threw 64 strikes in 102 pitches. Gamel finished 2-5 and struck out twice; Cain was 1-5. Quality return for Farris too, who had only four extra-base hits in his first 20 games with the Sounds this year. Stern's really liking this new-dad thing, eh? Nashville play-by-play

Final: @Ogden 3, Helena 2Relievers lead Raptors to win Brandon Hart/Ogden Raptors The Ogden Raptors defeated the Helena Brewers 3-2 Saturday night in front of a season-high 6,024 fans at Lindquist Field behind tremendous relief pitching. Reliever Bret Montgomery got the win pitching three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He allowed just one hit and struck out three. Closer Shawn Tolleson earned his league-leading eighth save, pitching a perfect ninth, striking out the last two batters. Tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Raptors took the lead. Nick Akins walked to lead off the inning. Then, Jonathan Garcia lined out to third base. Trying to double off Akins on first, third baseman Mike Walker threw the ball wide of first base, allowing Akins to take second. After a wild pitch on ball four to Blake Dean moved Akins to third, Jesse Bosnik singled home Akins on a hit to center field and giving the Raptors a 3-2 lead. The Raptors struck first in the first inning. Leon Landry led off the game for the Raptors with a triple to right-center. Bobby Coyle brought him home with a groundout to short to give the Raptors a 1-0 lead. Tony Pechek tied the game for the Brewers 1-1 with a solo homer in the second, his second of the season. The Brewers took the lead with a run in the top of the third. Robbie Garvey led off with a single up the middle and was sacrificed over to second on a bunt by Franklin Romero Jr. Cody Hawn then singled home Garvey to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. The Raptors tied the game 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the third. Jake Lemmerman reached first on a fielder's choice, which forced out Bobby Coyle at second base. Two wild pitches moved Lemmerman to third and Akins had an RBI groundout to short to bring him home. Both starting pitchers left the game with no decisions. Raptors starter Garrett Gould went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk. The right-hander struck out five. Brewers starter Evan Fredrickson worked four innings and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks, striking out three. The Raptors will welcome the Missoula Osprey into Ogden for a three-game series starting Sunday. Antonio Castillo will throw for the Raptors against J.R. Bradley for the Osprey. The Raptors and Osprey split a four-game series last week. The game starts at 4:00 and can be heard on 1280 The Zone. Helena box score Well, so much for that beating-Ogden thing. Frederickson also uncorked four wild pitches and hit a batter. Seth Lintz allowed a run in two innings on a hit and three walks, striking out two; he also hit a batter and let loose a wild pitch. I guess Pechek enjoyed his first pro homer so much yesterday that he decided to make it a daily occurrence. Hawn was 2-4 and Walker was 2-3. Shea Vucinich was 0-4 and struck out three times for the third time in four days. Helena play-by-play Frederickson really does just lose it in spurts. His first two wild pitches came during the same plate appearance in the 1st inning (predictably, the batter walked). Then this: Ogden Bottom 3rd Robert Coyle singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero. Jake Lemmerman grounds into a force out, second baseman Gregory Hopkins to shortstop Carlos George. Robert Coyle out at 2nd. Jake Lemmerman to 1st. With Michael Pericht batting, wild pitch by Evan Frederickson, Jake Lemmerman to 2nd. Michael Pericht hit by pitch. With Nick Akins batting, wild pitch by Evan Frederickson, Jake Lemmerman to 3rd. Michael Pericht to 2nd. Nick Akins grounds out, shortstop Carlos George to first baseman Cody Hawn. Jake Lemmerman scores. Michael Pericht to 3rd. Jonathan Garcia walks. Blake Dean flies out to center fielder Franklin Romero. It's like the other team gets a bunch of free sac bunts every time Frederickson pitches.

Final: Huntsville 5, @Jacksonville 2Stars beat Suns in back-and-forth battle Aaron Morse/Huntsville Stars Drew Anderson smacked a two-RBI double to give the Stars (15-14, 48-51) the lead for good and Huntsville’s pitching staff struck-out a season-high 16 batters on their way to a 5-2 victory Saturday night over the Jacksonville Suns (16-13, 56-43). Jacksonville got to Stars’ starter Amaury Rivas in the second inning as Matt Dominguez started things with a lead-off walk. A grounder moved him to second, and with two away Tim Torres came through with a bloop single to left, scoring Dominguez and giving the Suns a 1-0 lead (audio). Huntsville got some two-out lightning of their own in the top of the third. Caleb Gindl doubled to left and Zelous Wheeler followed with a double of his own to tie the game at one (audio). The back-and-forth two-out offense continued in the bottom of the frame. Rivas retired the first two batters he faced and struck-out Osvaldo Martinez for what should have been out number three. Unfortunately the ball got away from Anderson De La Rosa, allowing Martinez to reach safely. Martinez took advantage by stealing second base and scoring on a Vinny Rottino single (audio). The Suns’ 2-1 lead didn’t last long as the Stars came back in the top of the fourth. Chris Nowak led off with a walk. That was the end of the day for Suns’ starter Jose Rosario as the Suns brought in Wade Korpi (0-3). Nowak proceeded to steal second base and advance to third on a Taylor Green ground-out. Lee Haydel smacked a sacrifice fly to knot things at two (audio). Korpi’s control was his undoing in the fifth as he walked Rivas and Brett Lawrie to start the inning. It was the first time all year Rivas has reached base. Gindl bunted the runners over and Korpi walked Wheeler as well. With the bases full, Anderson came up large with a double to right, scoring Rivas and Lawrie to give the Stars a 4-2 advantage (audio). Rivas (9-5) went five innings, giving up four hits and two runs, both earned. He walked one and struck-out six. Nick Green came in for Rivas and was dominant, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out five hitters. Huntsville added an insurance run in the eighth thanks to a Wheeler solo homer (audio). Jim Henderson struck-out two on his way to a scoreless bottom half of the frame. Robert Hinton nailed down his third save of the year and second in as many days with a 1-2-3 ninth as he struck out the side (final pitch). With the win, the Stars pull to within 1.5 games of the Tennessee Smokies for the north division lead as Tennessee was rained out Saturday. Huntsville looks to clinch the series victory Sunday afternoon as they’ll get started at 2:05 p.m. central time. The Stars’ starter is TBA, but he’ll be squaring off against Elih Villanueva (10-4, 2.39 ERA). Tune in beginning at 1:50 p.m. for the Window World Pre-Game Report on the Stars Radio Network. Huntsville box score Rivas's final line: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 7/2 GO/AO, 79 pitches, 53 strikes. That's Amaury! Great game from Wheeler, 3-3 with the double, homer, and walk. Lawrie was 1-4 with a walk, Gindl was 1-3 with a double and a sac bunt, and Taylor Green took the collar, 0-4. Lawrie and Green each committed an error. More good work from Hinton. Our buddy Vinny Rottino was 1-4. Huntsville play-by-play After Anderson's two-run double, the Stars went out with a bang: Huntsville Top 5th Amaury Rivas walks. Brett Lawrie walks. Amaury Rivas to 2nd. Caleb Gindl out on a sacrifice bunt, catcher Vinny Rottino to first baseman Jason Delaney. Amaury Rivas to 3rd. Brett Lawrie to 2nd. Coaching visit to mound. Zelous Wheeler walks. Drew T. Anderson doubles (10) on a line drive to right fielder Tim Torres. Amaury Rivas scores. Brett Lawrie scores. Zelous Wheeler to 3rd. Chris Nowak flies into double play, right fielder Tim Torres to catcher Vinny Rottino. Zelous Wheeler out at home on the throw.

Final: AZL Brewers 12, @AZL Dodgers 5 AZL Brewers box score Well, I was definitely surprised to see Brooks Hall listed as tossing the first two innings when I loaded the box score, given that he pitched yesterday. Errors do happen, but this one--if it is an error--hasn't been fixed yet. Whoever it was struck out two, walked two, and allowed a hit in two scoreless innings before giving way to R.J. Johnson, making his second pro appearance. Johnson struggled, walking four and surrendering three runs in 1.2 innings. We had read that Johnson was also going to given 10-15 at-bats a week as a two-way player, but he hasn't taken a single swing yet. Travis Stortz struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. John Bivens led the Baby Brewers with three hits, including a homer and a double, and a HBP. Jason Rogers and T.J. Mittelstaedt also homered, the first pro round-tripper for both--congratulations, guys. Rogers and Kenny Allison were both 2-5 with a walk, Demetrius McKelvie was 2-4 with a HBP, and Max Walla was 2-5 with a double, a sac fly, and yet another outfield assist. and . Something was in the air, because neither McKelvie nor Walla struck out. The Dodgers committed five errors and allowed the Brewers to steal six bases with only one caught stealing. AZL Brewers play-by-play Big six-run 4th: AZL Brewers Top 4th Maxwell Walla doubles (7) on a line drive to center fielder James Baldwin. Justin Parker reaches on fielding error by third baseman Bladimir Franco. Maxwell Walla scores. Justin Parker to 2nd. Demetrius McKelvie singles on a line drive to right fielder Alexis Aguilar. Justin Parker to 3rd. Jhonatan Javier reaches on throwing error by pitcher Marlon Urriola. Justin Parker scores. Demetrius McKelvie to 3rd. With Thomas Mittelstaedt batting, Jhonatan Javier steals (3) 2nd base, Demetrius McKelvie scores. Jhonatan Javier to 3rd. Throwing error by catcher Tony Delmonico. Thomas Mittelstaedt walks. Pitcher Change: Roberto Feliciano replaces Marlon Urriola. Nick Shaw strikes out swinging. With John Bivens batting, Thomas Mittelstaedt steals (2) 2nd base, Jhonatan Javier scores. Throwing error by pitcher Roberto Feliciano. John Bivens hit by pitch. With Kenneth Allison batting, Thomas Mittelstaedt steals (3) 3rd base. John Bivens steals (1) 2nd base. Kenneth Allison singles on a ground ball to center fielder James Baldwin. Thomas Mittelstaedt scores. John Bivens to 3rd. Jason Rogers walks. Kenneth Allison to 2nd. Maxwell Walla out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder James Baldwin. John Bivens scores. Kenneth Allison to 3rd. Justin Parker grounds out, second baseman David Iden to first baseman Tae-Hyeok Nam.

Final: Helena 13, @Ogden 4Brewers slam Raptors Brandon Hart/Ogden Raptors During the recent winning streak, the Ogden Raptors have used big innings to get to the top of the Northern Division of the Pioneer League. Friday, the tables were turned as the Helena Brewers scored seven runs in the fourth inning, winning 13-4 at Lindquist Field. Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Robbie Garvey led off the inning with a double to right-center. Franklin Romero Jr. then hit his second home run of the year out to left to give the Brewers the lead. Next, Cody Hawn walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Mike Walker singled him home to left and moved to second on the throw to the plate. After John Dishon was hit by a pitch, Tony Pechek walked to load the bases. Carlos George then hit a grand slam out to left to give the Brewers a 7-1 advantage. The Brewers hit two more homers in the game. Greg Hopkins in the fifth, added a solo shot for the Brewers, his third of the season. In the sixth, Tony Pechek hit a two-run homer, his first of the season. Eric Marzec got the win for Helena with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter. The Raptors will host the Brewers for the final game of a four-game series Saturday. Garrett Gould will start for Ogden against Evan Fredrickson. Game starts at 7:00. Helena box score Helena finally beats Ogden this year. Congrats to George on the slam and Pechek on his first professional circuit clout. Awesome relief work by Marzec, too; Jose Oviedo was the starter, but he allowed four runs in 4.2 innings. Romero's been hitting a ton in his stints at Helena this year, but his walk today was just his second in 86 PA, against 21 strikeouts. Dishon was somehow hit by three pitches (from three different pitchers) after being nailed just once coming into the game. He also doubled and has been a nice surprise as a toolsy outfielder who didn't get much playing time at LSU, though his strikeout rate is also high. Cody Hawn and Shea Vucinich were each 0-4 with a walk; Vucinich fanned thrice for the second time in three games. Helena play-by-play There might have been some tension created by the hit batters. Dishon was hit in the 4th and 6th, and after Marzec hit a batter in the 7th, again in the 9th, after which the Ogden pitcher was ejected.

Final: Nashville 11, @Albuquerque 8Gamel powers Sounds past Isotopes, 11-8 Nashville Sounds ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Third baseman Mat Gamel belted a pair of homers and drove in four runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to an 11-8 victory in a slugfest against Albuquerque on Friday evening at Isotopes Park in the opener of a four-game series. The win was the second in a row against the Isotopes for Nashville (53-46). The Sounds went an efficient 7-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the contest. Gamel paced a 14-hit Sounds attack with his 4-for-5 evening that including four RBIs, four runs scored, and his sixth and seventh roundtrippers of the season. Left-hander Sam Narron (6-3) picked up a victory in his fifth straight start for Nashville, the longest win streak by a Sounds hurler this season. The 6-foot-7 southpaw allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits over 5 2/3 frames in the hitter-friendly environment. The teams exchanged two-run frames in the first inning before the Sounds erupted for a six-run rally in the top of the fourth to take an 8-2 lead. Luis Cruz led off the Nashville fourth with a single and moved to third on Ray Olmedo's double to center off Albuquerque starter Jesus Castillo. Catcher Ben Johnson followed with a go-ahead RBI single and Narron added a sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, Norris Hopper lined a run-scoring single to center to give the Sounds a 5-2 lead and chase Castillo from the contest. Gamel greeted Isotopes reliever Jesus Rodriguez by belting his sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot to left that made it an 8-2 contest. After Ivan DeJesus Jr. plated a run for the Isotopes with a two-out single off Narron in the fifth, the Sounds' Brendan Katin matched with a two-out RBI knock of his own in the top of the sixth to extend the Nashville lead to 9-3. Albuquerque chased Narron from the contest with a five-run rally in the home half of the sixth that pulled the Isotopes within a run at 9-8. Catcher A.J. Ellis plated two of the runs with a triple in the frame. The Sounds answered with a run of their own in the top of the seventh when Olmedo and Johnson ripped back-to-back doubles off Isotopes reliever Ramon Troncoso to increase their cushion to 10-8. Gamel struck again in the eighth, swatting a one-out solo homer to left off Jon Link, to make it an 11-8 contest. In his third rehab appearance for the Sounds, reliever LaTroy Hawkins closed out the contest with a pair of scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year, marking back-to-back appearances for the veteran. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth on three consecutive groundouts, tossing just five pitches in the frame. In the ninth, the right-hander allowed a one-out single to Russ Mitchell (4-for-5) before inducing a game-ending double play grounder from John Lindsey [listen to the double play here]. In his three PCL outings, Hawkins has allowed two singles in 4 1/3 scoreless frames. Castillo (1-4) absorbed the defeat for Albuquerque after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings. The teams continue the series with another 8:05 p.m. CT contest on Saturday. Right-hander Josh Butler will make his first Triple-A appearance of the year when he starts for the Sounds. Albuquerque will counter with right-hander Seth Etherton (3-2, 4.55). http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/06/25/NnyAfjsS.jpg Yes, Mat Gamel can still hit. (Mike Strasinger/Nashville Sounds) Nashville box score Gamel's become a bit of a forgotten man, but this should jog everyone's memory. Way to go, Mat. Lorenzo Cain was 1-4 with a walk in his return to the Sounds' lineup after his Milwaukee (well, Atlanta/Pittsburgh) adventure. Talk about backing your way into a win, jeez--Narron owes some steaks after tonight. Nashville play-by-play

Final: Huntsville 3, @Jacksonville 2 Stars edge Suns to break four-game skid Aaron Morse/Huntsville StarsChris Nowak singled home Drew Anderson in the eighth and Taylor Green tied a club record for doubles in a game with three as the Huntsville Stars (14-14, 47-51) snuck past the Jacksonville Suns (16-12, 56-42) by a final score of 3-2 Friday night. Each team put up two runs in the second inning. With one away, back-to-back doubles from Green and Lee Haydel (audio) gave Huntsville a 1-0 edge. Then with two away, Stars’ starter Mark Rogers helped out his own cause with a double of his own to drive in Haydel and give the Stars a 2-0 lead (audio). But the advantage would be short-lived as the Suns came back in their half of the frame. Former Star Vinny Rottino singled to lead things off. He stole second base and Lee Mitchell drew a walk. One out later Ryan Curry doubled home Rottino, putting runners at second and third with one out (audio). John Otness grounded out, driving in the tying run in the process (audio). Rogers walked another batter but was able to get out of the inning with no further damage when he got the next batter to ground back to the mound. It was another shaky night for Rogers, who is always tough to hit, but continues to have control issues. He went 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on only two hits, but he walked five and struck out four. It took him 88 pitches to get through his night and he was replaced after he walked Rottino with two outs in the fifth inning. Lucas Luetge entered and walked the first man he faced but was able to get out of the inning unscathed. Unlike in previous games, the battle of the bullpens went the Stars’ way. Suns’ starter Tom Koehler tossed six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck-out six. Dan Jennings (4-2), fresh off his ejection the previous night, entered in the seventh and threw a shutout inning before the Stars got to him in the eighth. With one away Anderson drilled the Stars’ sixth double of the night. Nowak followed with a jam-shot single that scored Anderson, putting the Stars ahead 3-2 (audio). Green etched his name in the Stars’ record book with his third double of the night, tied for the most in a single game by a Star, but he was left stranded. He’s the first Star to tally three doubles in one game since Corey Hart did it in 2003. Andre Lamontagne (2-0) picked up where Luetge, who went an inning and a third of scoreless ball left off. The big right-hander bounced back from his rough outing the other day to go two scoreless innings and pick up his second win of the season for the Stars. Robert Hinton, recently reassigned to Huntsville from Nashville, pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the season (final out). Green and Nowak tallied multi-hit games and of the Stars’ nine hits, seven of them were doubles. With the victory, the Stars remain two games back of Tennessee for first place in the Southern League north division. They send their ace, Amaury Rivas, to the mound Saturday night as they look to take a two games to one lead in their five game set with Jacksonville. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. central time and all the action can be heard on the Stars Radio Network. Huntsville box score I know a certain Brewerfan staff member who will be very pleased to note Green's three doubles. Green was also hit by a pitch to complete a perfect night at the plate. Caleb Gindl was 0-4 with a walk, and Brett Lawrie was 1-4 with a sac bunt (?). It's pretty frustrating to watch Rogers' continued struggles with his control; in those 88 pitches, he threw only 44 strikes, and he also hit a batter. But hey, at least he's healthy and pitching. Nice to see Hinton pad that gaudy AA strikeout rate. Also nice to see Vinny Rottino have a nice game, even at the Stars' expense: 1-2 with two walks and two steals. Huntsville play-by-play Interesting decision by Lawrie (unless it was called, but I doubt it) to bunt here with the team needing an insurance run: Huntsville Top 9th Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Anderson Machado replaces Andre Lamontagne. Anderson Machado walks. Brett Lawrie out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Jose Ceda to second baseman Ryan Curry. Anderson Machado to 2nd. Caleb Gindl strikes out on foul tip. Zelous Wheeler walks. Drew T. Anderson flies out to center fielder Jeff Corsaletti.

Rattler Radio: Game notes Game two pitcher

Brewin' with Kuehn: Garman’s confidence evident in his pitches Amber Kuehn/Helena Independent Record At the close of the Helena Brewers’ seven-game homestand, closer Brian Garman had struck out 13 of the last 18 batters he faced. He picked up his third save of the season on July 17 by fanning Orem’s hottest hitter, Andrew Heid. Garman, who just turned 22 on July 19, owns a 0.64 ERA. Has he improved since day one? You bet. But to the naked eye, a fan would be unable to tell what has changed. “It’s probably not anything that anyone else would notice,” the modest Garman said last week. “I’m starting to do things now for me, and I’m back to where I’m starting to get comfortable.” It wasn’t so much a mechanical adjustment Garman had to make to his pitches, but rather a mental change. The southpaw drafted in the 17th round out of the University of Cincinnati admits he didn’t feel he belonged in the pros at first, was worried about how he’d relate to other guys in the clubhouse and didn’t have confidence in his pitches. “There are guys that, their stuff might not be that good, but if they believe it is then they end up having better results than guys who probably have better stuff, but don’t believe in it,” said Garman, whose slider and fastball have vastly improved. “My slider’s been my go-to pitch. It took me two or three years to learn how to pitch with that pitch ... That’s been huge. I say without that, I’m probably not here.” Confidence in his slider and better fastball location is what has opponents swinging and missing. The Wapakoneta, Ohio, native said he doesn’t think of himself as a strikeout guy, just one who aims to get ground balls. “The strikeouts just happen — how long that streak continues, I have no idea,” Garman said, adding that he needs to be able to command all four of his pitches, not just rely on two. He said he’s still struggling with the changeup. “It’s a lot better than it was, but nowhere near where it needs to be.” Baseball’s 95 percent mental, according to Garman, and perhaps nobody believes that more than pitchers. “Everybody that’s considered a pitcher in that locker room knows how to pitch,” Garman said, motioning toward the Brewers’ clubhouse. “What sets a guy apart, I feel, is not the God-given ability, but a guy’s desire to set himself apart from a group. It’s what he’s willing to do when nobody’s looking.” That’s something not lost on Helena pitching coach Elvin Nina. He has noticed Garman often spends his time working on little things that could easily be overlooked and that, he believes, is why his confidence has grown. “I think as a coach you tend to believe more in a player than the player does in himself,” Nina said. “But he’s riding a wave of confidence right now and we try to put him in a situation where he can succeed.” Garman is not afraid to enter the ballgame at any point, whether that means trying to dig his team out of a big deficit or trying to maintain the lead. “He’s a great, back-end-of-a-ballgame type pitcher,” manager Joe Ayrault said. “I’m very happy having him on the mound late in a game.” And when in, Garman said he tries to do everything asked of him. “Just so at the end of the day I can look myself in the mirror and know that I gave it everything I had,” he said. “And that, more than anything else, is the mental edge I think I need.” LEAGUE LEADERS Helena’s Cody Hawn may not be the fastest guy on the team, nor be a threat to steal. But the Brewers’ first baseman has affectionately been dubbed “The Cheetah” by broadcaster Steve Wendt, because of his quick reflexes when it comes to fielding shots hit hard in his direction. Still, it’s no secret where Hawn has helped the team the most. “The bat’s my strong suit, no doubt about that,” Hawn said last week. While Hawn doesn’t consider himself a power hitter or situational hitter, the stats say otherwise. The 21-year-old lefty leads the Pioneer League with 15 doubles and 30 RBIs and is tied for third with five home runs (through July 21). “I’ve just been fortunate enough to be put in good situations,” said Hawn, who gives endless credit to Helena hitting coach Ned Yost. “My teammates find ways to get on and I find holes to hit to.” The Brewers’ opponents this series, the Ogden Raptors, have an offensive stud of their own. Catcher Mike Pericht, who at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds appears to have the body of a big-leaguer or linebacker, leads the league with nine homers. He credits a lot of offseason work in the weight room, and is dispelling the notion that catchers are more known for their work behind the plate than at it. “I like to think of myself as not necessarily a power hitter but a hitter with power,” he said. “If you look in the major league, there aren’t too many catchers who are home run-leading type hitters. Joe Mauer maybe, Mike Piazza was one, but (people assume) most catchers are just guys who generally have low batting averages and will hit for singles and doubles.” Los Angeles Angels catcher Mike Napoli has 14 long balls this season, which leads major league catchers. But that is since April, and Pericht already has more than half of that in just a month’s time. “I’m tall and strong,” Pericht said. “If I get any kind of leverage on a ball, it’s got a chance.” MONIKER MADNESS Helena pitcher Stosh Wawrzasek is a candidate for the best name in all of Minor League Baseball in MiLB.com’s fourth annual Minors Moniker Madness bracket tournament. Wawrzasek is up against Beamer Weems of San Antonio (just a nickname) in the first round. Fans can vote online at www.milb.com/madness. Former Brewers third baseman and current Huntsville Stars shortstop Zelous Wheeler is also a candidate for the award. Voting for the first round ends July 26. The winner will be chosen following the final round, which ends Aug. 16.

Raptors wallop Brewers 18-2 Brandon Hart/Ogden Raptors The Ogden Raptors won their most lopsided game of the year, winning 18-2 against the Helena Brewers Thursday night at Lindquist Field. The Raptors, leading 1-0 after a Nick Akins solo shot to center in the second, scored seven more runs in the third. With one out, Casio Grider doubled down the left-field line. Leon Landry walked, and Bobby Coyle singled home Grider with a hit to left. Jake Lemmerman was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Akins delivered a two-run single off the wall in right. Two batters later, Blake Dean hit a two-run double to right-center. Jesse Bosnik and Steve Domecus hit consecutive RBI singles to give the Raptors an 8-0 after three innings. In the fourth, the Raptors added three more runs. Dean came up with the bases loaded and hit a bases-clearing double to center field to extend the Raptors lead to 11-0. The pitching for the Raptors was terrific too. Starter Greg Wilborn pitched six innings and gave up just one run and struck out nine batters. Relievers Raul Burgos and Jake McCarter combined for three innings and one unearned run with four strikeouts. Lemmerman added his third home run of the year, a solo shot, in the fifth, after the Brewers scored their first run in the top of the inning. The Raptors added four more runs in the seventh. Pinch hitter Chance Gilmore led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. After walks to Lemmerman and pinch hitter Austin King loaded the bases, Jonathan Garcia drove home two with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Domecus and Grider hit back-to-back run-scoring singles to put the Raptors up 16-1. In the eighth, Lemmerman doubled with one out. After walks to King and Garcia loaded the bases again, Dean delivered his fourth double of the game, driving in two and giving Dean seven RBI on the night. The Raptors and Brewers will continue their four-game series Friday. Carlos Frias will face Jose Oviedo for the Brewers. Game starts at 7:00 and can be heard on 1280 The Zone. Dean plates seven with four doubles MiLB.com Dodgers' first-base prospect Blake Dean drove in a career-high seven runs on four doubles as Ogden blew out Helena, 18-2, on Thursday night. The 2010 eighth-round pick out of LSU had a pair of doubles in his previous two games before Thursday's barrage. After popping out to shortstop in his first at-bat, Dean brought Jake Lemmerman and Nick Akins home on his first double of the night -- a line drive to right field off of Brewers starter Tyler Cravy in the third inning. Dean scored his only run of the game when Jesse Bosnik followed with a double of his own to make the game, 7-1. Dean doubled to center in the fourth off of reliever Tony Butler to bring Robert Croyle, Akins and Jonathan Garcia across the plate. After Helena called on Thomas Keeling to pitch the sixth, Dean hit a bases-empty double to center. He also drew a walk in the seventh. Dean's 10th double of the season -- a shot to right in the eighth -- scored Lemmerman and Austin King to give the Raptors a 17-run lead. Before Thursday, Dean's only multiple-RBI game was two in a June 30 loss to Orem. He had never had four hits in the same game, but doubled and singled twice in a loss to Casper on June 23, singled three times in a loss to Idaho Falls on July 4, and doubled twice and singled while falling to Missoula on Tuesday. Dean is hitting .298 with a homer and 14 RBIs through 24 games. Greg Wilborn earned the win for Ogden by fanning nine and allowing one run on six hits over six innings. Akins homered and singled and Lemmerman added a longball and a double for the Raptors (19-12).

Final: @AZL Brewers 11, AZL Mariners 6AZL Brewers box score Kevin Shackelford started and pitched very well, allowing just a run on two hits in four innings while fanning five and walking one, but Brooks Hall got the undeserved win, surrendering four runs in 2.2 innings of work. Hall struck out five, walked two, hit two batters, and gave up four hits, including a homer. Seth Harvey closed things out in impressive fashion, recording six of his seven outs via strikeout. You'd think given the 11 runs that Tyler Roberts had a big night, but it was actually a very rough one: he was 0-4 at the plate, though he did walk, and committed four more passed balls, giving him 13 now. Eric Farris, who would probably like to come back to Nashville now, homered. Max Walla, who started in center field, his first game there this year and second ever, doubled twice (and struck out twice). Kenny Allison singled, doubled, and walked, and Nick Shaw tripled and walked twice. AZL Brewers play-by-play All of Hall's runs came in his first inning of work, which, combined with Roberts' "catching", was pretty ugly: AZL Mariners Top 5th AZL Brewers AZL Brewers Manager Tony Diggs ejected by HP umpire Ricky Rodriguez. Pitcher Change: Brooks Hall replaces Kevin Shackelford. Jose Martinez hit by pitch. With Robert Rodriguez batting, passed ball by Tyler Roberts, Jose Martinez to 2nd. With Robert Rodriguez batting, passed ball by Tyler Roberts, Jose Martinez to 3rd. Robert Rodriguez singles on a line drive to center fielder Maxwell Walla. Jose Martinez scores. Bryan Brito strikes out swinging. Danny Lopez homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. Robert Rodriguez scores. Jean Acevedo walks. With Alfredo Morales batting, Jean Acevedo steals (2) 2nd base. With Alfredo Morales batting, Jean Acevedo steals (3) 3rd base. Alfredo Morales strikes out swinging. Jose Flores doubles (8) on a line drive to left fielder Derrick Shaw. Jean Acevedo scores. Guillermo Pimentel flies out to center fielder Maxwell Walla. Not sure why Diggs was tossed out there; the previous half inning ended on a swinging strikeout by Yadiel Rivera. Maybe it was a check-swing call?

Final: @Ogden 18, Helena 2Helena box score Uh, guys? Helena has lost five straight to Ogden now; they haven't beaten the Raptors since last August. Ryan Bernal was the only one of six Brewers pitchers to escape unscathed; starter Tyler Cravy allowed eight runs in 2.2 innings, Tony Butler three in one, Rob Currie one in one, Thomas Keeling four in one, and Alex Jones two in one. Suboptimal. Keeling actually pitched a scoreless 6th, but couldn't get anyone out in the 7th; he walked four, hit a batter, and struck out none. Cravy only allowed eight baserunners (six hits, a walk, and a HBP), so I guess they all scored--talk about your bad luck. Five of the eight outs he recorded were via strikeout, so I guess it was just the Raptors' night. Offensively, let's see, the Brewers drew no walks, so that's not very good. Mike Walker and Shea Vucinich had two hits each. As MH pointed out, Brent Dean had to leave in the 1st inning, but fortunately, Helena has two more heads of their Three-Headed Undrafted Catcher monster. Helena play-by-play You don't want to read it.

Final: @Nashville 4, Albuquerque 2Sounds avoid sweep, beat 'Topes 4-2 Nashville Sounds NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds avoided a sweep at the hands of the Albuquerque Isotopes with a 4-2 victory on Thursday evening at historic Greer Stadium in the finale of a four-game series. Nashville (52-46) wrapped up its eight-game homestand with a 4-4 record. Right-hander Marty McLeary (4-6) picked up his fourth victory in six starts for Nashville after holding the 'Topes to two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings of work. He walked five batters and struck out five as he lowered his ERA to 4.40 during his Sounds tenure. Albuquerque grabbed an early 1-0 lead against McLeary. Former Sound Trent Oeltjen led off the contest with a double to right, his 29th two-bagger of the year. After advancing to third on a passed ball charged to Sounds catcher Martin Maldonado, Oeltjen scored the night's first run in unearned fashion on Elian Herrera's sacrifice fly to left. Oeltjen plated the visitors' second run of the evening in the top of the third when he legged out a leadoff triple to right then scored on a Herrera RBI single off McLeary. The Sounds produced a two-out rally to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth against Albuquerque starter Claudio Vargas. Ray Olmedo led off with a single, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout. After Adam Stern drew a two-out walk to put runners on the corners, Norris Hopper (3-for-4) ripped a game-tying, two-run double down the left field line to plate both baserunners. Hopper proceeded to steal second before putting the Sounds in front by a run when he scored on Mat Gamel's RBI single to center. The Sounds tacked on an insurance run in the eighth against Isotopes reliever Josh Lindblom. Hopper led off with his second double of the night and scored later in the frame on Joe Koshansky's two-out RBI single to make it a 4-2 contest. Nashville closer Chris Smith worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to nail down his league-leading 19th save of the season by striking out pinch-hitter John Lindsey. Rehabbing reliever LaTroy Hawkins made his second appearance for the Sounds and tossed a scoreless innings, allowing one hit while throwing 11 pitches (eight strikes). He induced one groundout and a pair of flyouts. Vargas (2-4) absorbed the loss after he gave up three runs on five hits over five innings of work, walking two batters and fanning four. Maldonado singled in the home half of the second to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, matching the best effort by a Sounds batter this season. Erick Almonte grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Nashville to snap his season-best hit streak at seven games. Both teams fly to Albuquerque in the morning to play a four-game series at Isotopes Park. Left-hander Sam Narron (5-3, 2.79) will start Friday's 8:05 p.m. CT series opener for the Sounds. Albuquerque will counter with right-hander John Ely (3-1, 3.24). Baseball returns to Greer Stadium on Tuesday night, when the Sounds open an eight-game homestand with a 7:05 p.m. contest against the division-rival Omaha Royals. Nashville box score The Curse of Oeltjen is defeated! Perhaps the Blessing of Vargas just overpowered it. Gamel finished 1-3 with a walk. Brendan Katin had a rough night, 0-4 with three strikeouts. Nashville play-by-play Given Hopper's remarkable lack of power this year (.028 ISO coming into the game), I expected both of his doubles to be ground balls down the line, but one was an honest-to-god line drive extra-base hit.

Final: @Fort Myers 5, Brevard County 4Brevard County box score Dan Merklinger struck out 11 in six innings, but Mark Willinsky gave up two runs in the 8th to hand the Miracle a one-run victory. Merklinger allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. Erik Komatsu was once again the star, 2-4 with a double. Sean Halton and Pete Fatse also doubled, and Josh Prince drew two walks, a welcome sight. Brevard County play-by-play Appropriately given the weather in Milwaukee, the Miracle found some two-out lightning in the 8th: Fort Myers Bottom 8th Defensive Substitution: Juan Sanchez replaces right fielder Peter Fatse, batting 6th, playing right field. Deibinson Romero walks. Evan Bigley out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Mark Willinsky to second baseman Steve Braun. Deibinson Romero to 2nd. Nicholas Romero called out on strikes. Drew Thompson singles on a fly ball to right fielder Juan Sanchez. Deibinson Romero scores. Drew Thompson to 2nd on the throw. Allan de San Miguel doubles (2) on a fly ball to center fielder Erik Komatsu. Drew Thompson scores. Angel Morales grounds out, pitcher Mark Willinsky to first baseman Sean Halton. Not sure why Fatse left the game there. He reached on an error, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error the previous half inning; maybe he got shaken up.

DSL Brewers postponed again. For once, though, Milwaukee might have gotten as much rain as Santo Domingo did.